Blackout Stuffed Peppers

Monday night was another adventure with a new recipe mixed with the fun of a 3 hour blackout. Luckily, I had started cooking the brown rice 30 minutes before the blackout (we have and electric stove). With 95 degree/100% humidity outside, everyone was inside running their air conditioner, televisions, microwaves and such. It was only a matter of time until the we had our first major power outage of the year. I was just getting ready to start the onions, but I figured we would only be black for a few minutes. When honey called the power company and they said it could be out for 4 hours...it was time to improvise.

We have a side burner on our grill, I have never cooked with it and I haven't cooked with gas since my college days. So...outside with the onions & garlic to get them carmelized. Just by chance as the sun sets they are done so I go back inside to combine the rest of the ingredients and wait for the rice. After waiting another half hour...miracle of miracles...the rice is cooked perfectly. Everything goes into a bowl to get mixed together & then stuffed into the peppers. Now comes the question. How to bake the peppers....in a grill???

Hubby suggests indirect heat and...it works. Now...I experiment alot in my cooking, but I have never had this string of lucky chances. Especially with new kitchen equipment. So as I do the prep dishes in the sink, wouldn't you know it...we run out of propane. So now I hope I can duplicate the rice, maybe enough heat got in there to cook it. But after 20 minutes it is obvious that the peppers are not cooking and I am getting hungry. But wouldn't you know it...the power comes back on. I throw the peppers in for another 30 minutes and voila....Stuffed Peppers. They were good too...hubby ate 2 for dinner & 1 more for lunch the next day. So much for leftovers.

I got the recipe from Fat Free Vegan

Stuffed Green Peppers

3 large green peppers (I used red peppers)
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 large onion -- chopped
3 cups tomato -- chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil -- use more if fresh
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon agave nectar or other liquid sweetener (I didn't use)
1/2 cup of chipotle cheddar (adds a little more spice to the dish)

1. Cut peppers in half lengthwise & remove the seeds.

2. Steam peppers for 5 minutes then drain.

3. Fry the onions until translucent.

4. Reserve half the tomatoes. Mix the other half with the cooked rice,
onion, spices, and add salt & pepper to taste.

5. Stuff the pepper shells with this mixture and place them in a shallow
pan. You may want to use parchment paper or a spray of oil to prevent
sticking.

6. Puree the remaining tomatoes in a blender and add the sweetener. Pour
this over the tops of the stuffed peppers.

7. Bake at 375º for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serving Size : 3