PP: GF Stuffed Peppers

Chef:  Amber Poupore
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time:  1 hour
Cook Time:  1 1/2 to 2 hours

Ingredients

• 6 Whole bell peppers, any color
• 1 large yellow onion finely diced
• 2 large zucchini finely diced
• 1 c short grain brown rice
• 2 c French Petit Lentils
• 4 T garlic cloves, minced
• 2 c  of your favorite beans and/or tempeh
• 2 cans large chopped tomato  (28 ounces) and 1 small (12 ounce)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 c packed fresh basil, chopped
• 3 T  Italian Seasoning
• 1 T  dried basil
• 2 T  balsamic vinegar
• 2 bay leaf
• mineral sea salt to taste

Directions

Rice

1. Cook rice in a rice cooker, its simple.  
2. Thoroughly rinse rice.  
3. Allow to completely drain.
4.  Add almost 2 c  water and 1/4 t salt.  
5. Cook.

Tomato Basil Sauce

1. Empty cans of tomato and paste into large sauce pot.  
2. Add 1 T salt and cook about 25-35 minutes.  
3. Add 2 T  fresh garlic, Italian seasoning and dried basil cook an additional 15 minutes.
4.  Add balsamic cook 10 minutes.  
5. Turn off heat and add fresh basil and black pepper if you like.

Lentils

1. Thoroughly rinse lentils.
2.  Cover with water in pot and add 2 tsp salt with bay leaves.  
3. Cook about 40 minutes.  
4. Drain from excess stock, add water while cooking if needed.  

Filling

1. Chop onion and sauté with 2 T fresh garlic and 1/4 c  water for 5 minutes on high, do not cook fully.  
2. Chop zucchini and add to sauté pan and cook an additional 5 minutes

Pepper assembly and cooking

1. Slice tops off peppers and carefully remove the seeds and veins.
2. Mix in bowl:onion, garlic & zucchini, beans/tempeh, lentils, rice, tomato sauce
3. Stuff the peppers ensuring filling gets to the bottoms.  
4. Add surplus filling to the surrounding area and fill bottom of the pan.  
5. Cover with foil.  
6. Bake in oven 1 to  1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees until peppers are cooked to what you prefer.