Delicious Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers: A Healthy Dinner Surprise

Ingredients

• 4 largered bell peppers (halved from stem to base, seeds and membranes removed)
• 1 tbspextra virgin olive oil (for roasting)
• —fine salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 cuplong-grain brown rice ((or 1 ½ cups cooked rice))
• 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil (for the filling)
• 1 largeyellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 tspfine salt (to taste)
• 1 pintcherry tomatoes (halved or quartered if large)
• 1/2 cupfresh cilantro (chopped, plus more for garnish)
• 4 clovesgarlic (pressed or minced)
• 1.5 tspchili powder
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 canpinto beans (rinsed and drained, about 1 ½ cups)
• —black pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsplime juice
• 4 ozpart-skim mozzarella or cheddar (grated, about 1 cup)
• —optional garnishes (sliced avocado, guacamole, cilantro-hemp pesto, salsa, sour cream or vegan options)