Local Bounty Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

As you may have noticed, I get pretty excited over the recipe possibilities each new season’s produce selections offer.  No autumn pumpkin mania or summer salad obsession gets by me!  So of course, I was so excited when I cracked open the copy of Local Bounty sent to me by Book Publishing Company, only to find the recipes divided up by the four seasons!  It was love at first page turn.  At the beginning of each section is a list of the season’s early, mid, and late produce availability, perfect for shopping with the seasons in this age where nearly everything can be purchased year round.  I love that the vegan recipes in Local Bounty are simple, but not too simple, making them quick and easy to prepare, and yet not boring or overly casual.  All the recipes look perfect for a Tuesday evening or Friday dinner guests.  The first dish I chose to make was Bell Peppers Stuffed with Black Beans (page 139); I had a friend looking for a good stuffed pepper recipe and I thought this looked like a good one to share!

Bell Peppers Stuffed With Black Beans
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 pasilla, poblano or anaheim chile, diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 medium bell peppers, any color
• 2 cups salsa
• handful of tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.  Add the onion, chile, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.  Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.  Remove from the heat and stir in the black beans, corn, and vinegar.  Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Spread the salsa in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.  Stuff the pepper halves with the bean mixture and arrange them in the pan with the open sides facing up.  Crumble the tortilla chips with your hands or crush them in a food processor until they are powdery.  Sprinkle the crushed tortilla chips over the stuffed peppers.  Cover the pan with foil and bake the peppers in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the are very soft.  Uncover them and bake for 10 minutes longer.

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