Oh, hi there (and Mexican Polenta Stuffed Peppers)

So, I have bunches of excuses for not writing in this blog. The main one is that I did not cook much this summer and fall. I would love to have really good reasons for that, but I don't. I just wasn't feeling particularly adventurous. Since this whole "no meat" thing is still new for me, it seemed to require too much effort.

First, let me clarify. I don't consider myself a vegetarian. I consider myself a "flexitarian"; that is to say, I eat vegetarian most of the time, but still occasionally eat meat (and I don't really feel that bad about it when I do). However, I am not cooking meat at home anymore, mostly because I've always found raw meat to be disgusting.

Anyway, now let me get to my recipe!

Mexican Polenta-Stuffed Peppers

(from Simple Suppers - above photo is from the cookbook itself)

Ingredients:

5 large bell peppers

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

sprinkling of salt

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tb red pepper flakes

1 cup polenta cornmeal (or buy regular cornmeal)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional, omit for vegan recipe)

1/2 cup chopped spanish olives

1 16-ounce jar of your favorite salsa

1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 450º. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, but leave the stem ends on so the peppers will hold their shape. Brush the pepper halves with oil, inside and out, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place cut-side up on an oiled baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender but still holding their shape, about 15 minutes.

While the peppers roast, in a heavy saucepan, bring the water, salt, and red pepper flakes to a boil. Add the polenta in slow, steady stream while whisking. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until thickened. Stir in the corn, oil or butter, 1 cup of cheese, and the olives. Remove from the heat.

Fill the roasted pepper halves with the polenta mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, combine the salsa, black beans, and cilantro in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

To serve, spoon some of the black bean salsa on each dinner plate and place one or two pepper halves on top.

Modifications: I used a mixture of green, red and yellow bell peppers, to get a variety of flavors. Also, I omitted the olives (because I don't like olives), and I didn't use any cilantro. Also, rather than using that much oil on the peppers, I just lightly sprayed them with a bit of olive oil.

Let me just say: I LOVED this recipe. My dinner guests also seemed to be very happy with it (we didn't even have any time to take pictures - we just wanted to eat it!) I will definitely make it again! Also, the timing is perfect: there's the perfect amount of time to make the polenta while the peppers are roasting.

I paired this recipe with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans (coated in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, and roasted at the same time as everything else).

Happy cooking!