Southwest Stuffed Peppers

On my quest to add more vegetables and fruit to our diet, I decided to tackle a new dish that's packed with fiber, protein and a rainbow of veggies. Disguised with a spicy sour cream, these stuffed peppers mimic all of the great flavors of a stuffed Mexican burrito without the carbs of tortillas or temptations of fatty sides like guacamole and cheese sauce. You literally can taste the freshness of all of the produce offerings of a summer in the south.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers
(makes 2 peppers)

• 2 green bell peppers (try to find shorter, fat peppers with fairly level bottoms)
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef (or chicken or turkey)
• 1/2 - 1/3 c black bean and corn salsa (we made it here)
• 1/4 C shredded Mexican cheese (or substitute any cheddar blend cheese)
• 2 tbsp diced onion
• 1 clove of garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1-2 tsp chili pepper sauce (such as sriracha)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the ground meat, diced onion and garlic. Season the mixture with the chili powder, cumin and salt & pepper and cook until meat is browned. While cooking the meat, be sure to break it up with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the black bean and corn salsa until heated through and well combined.

Remove the top 1/4 - 1/2 inch of the bell pepper and carefully remove the seeds and ribbing.

Fill the peppers with the meat and salsa mixture and place in a shallow baking dish (for two peppers I used a loaf pan and it worked great!). Sprinkle the top of each pepper with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese begins to brown and peppers become tender. 

To make spicy sour cream simply combine chili pepper sauce and sour cream. Add a dallop to each pepper before serving.