Easy to Prepare Vegetarian Tempeh Stuffed Peppers

These tempeh stuffed peppers are flavorful, easy to prepare, healthy, and filling! Don’t let the idea of preparing stuffed peppers scare you-it is not difficult, and the bell peppers are basically an edible bowl! Prepare these ahead of time as part of your meal prep, or prepare and serve on the same day!!

Ingredients:

·  1 white or yellow onion chopped

·  1 cup chopped red pepper

·  1 cup brown rice

·  1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·  1 teaspoon smoked paprika

·  1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

·  1/2 teaspoon chili powder

·  4 tablespoons lime juice divided

·  2 1/4 cups water

·  4 large bell peppers seeded and cut in half lengthwise

·  1 cup peas frozen and blanched for 1-2 minutes, or until bright and tender

·  8 oz tempeh cut into cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium sized pot, heat two teaspoons of the oil. Add the onions and pepper. Sautee the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are soft and clear.
2. Add the rice, salt, paprika, cumin, and two tablespoons of the lime juice to the pot. Stir to coat the rice and vegetables evenly with the spices. 
3. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 25-35 minutes unitl water is abosrobed. 
4. While the rice cooks, preheat the oven to 350. Lay the pepper halves on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until gently browning at the edges and tender, but not yet collapsing. Remove the peppers from the oven (but leave the oven on).
5. Add the remaining two tablespoons of lime juice in a medium sized bowl. Add the tempeh cubes and toss them evenly to coat. Heat the remaining two teaspoons of oil in a small frying pan or skillet. Add the tempeh cubes and all of the liquid in the bowl to the pan. Allow the tempeh cubes to brown gently on all sides, watching them closely and flipping them as needed (about 8 minutes).
6. Mix the tempeh and peas into the rice. Check the rice for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and spices to taste. Scoop the rice mixture into the pepper halves and place them in an oiled 7 x 11 or 8 x 13 casserole dish or baking pan. Distribute the remaining rice + tempeh mixture around the stuffed peppers, so that it bakes with them and gets a tiny bit crispy and warm. Add any toppings you like. Pop the baking pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are totally tender. Serve.