Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers (I prefer red because they are a bit sweeter than green peppers),  Remove tops, ribs and seeds
2 cups of bulgur (you may substitute any whole grain you prefer)
1 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced and set over a fine mesh sieve to drain
15oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh organic yellow corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp hot sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bulgur as per package instructions.  Set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, saute onion, carrot and sweet potato for about 10 minutes until potato and onion are soft.  Add tomatoes, beans and corn.  Cook for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.

Combine bulgur and vegetable mixture in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Spray a small baking pan with non-stick spray.  Fill each pepper with the stuffing mixture and stand upright in the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven; sprinkle the top of each pepper with 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese.  Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (bake for shorter period of time for more firm peppers and longer for softer peppers).  Remove pan from oven and serve immediately.

These make a great main course or you can cut them in half and lay them pepper side down on a plate as a side dish.

*You can easily make this recipe vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy!