Rainbow Bell Pepper Boats with Garbanzo Beans and Kale

Name: Rainbow Bell Pepper Boats with Garbanzo Beans and Kale
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 1 medium bell pepper, halved and seeded (119 g) Peppers (Bell); 6 tablespoons low-sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (62 g) Canned Chickpeas; 2 1/2 tablespoons brown rice, dry (31 g), about 1/2 cup cooked Brown Rice (Raw, Unenriched); 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (15 g) Walnuts; 1/2 cup kale, chopped (11 g) Kale (Fresh, Raw); 1/16 teaspoon Salt; a pinch Black pepper

Bell peppers stuffed with chickpeas, brown rice, kale and walnuts, then baked — 7 g of fibre per boat, no meat.

339kcal per serving

10gprotein

44.2gcarbs

13.7gfat

131 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Estimated; may vary.

Prep15 min

Cook35 min

Total50 min

Makes1 serving

DifficultyMedium

Bell pepper halves filled with brown rice, garbanzo beans, kale and walnuts, then baked until the pepper softens. One serving is two halves at about 339 calories with 10 g protein and 7 g fibre, all of it from plants.

Mashing half the beans and leaving the rest whole is what holds the filling together without egg or cheese. Cook the rice until just tender, not mushy, since it bakes for another half hour inside the pepper; a little under is better than over.

The peppers can be filled a day ahead and baked when you need them. They reheat well, so this is a good one to make in a batch of four or six. A spoonful of plain yogurt or a squeeze of lemon on top brightens the baked filling.

Ingredients

Servings

Peppers (Bell)1 medium bell pepper, halved and seeded (119 g)
Canned Chickpeas6 tablespoons low-sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (62 g)
Brown Rice (Raw, Unenriched)2 1/2 tablespoons brown rice, dry, about 1/2 cup cooked (31 g)
Walnuts2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (15 g)
Kale (Fresh, Raw)1/2 cup kale, chopped (11 g)
Salt1/16 teaspoon
Black peppera pinch

Cook’s tips

Mash about half the garbanzo beans with a fork so the filling binds; leave the rest whole for texture.
Slightly undercook the rice; it absorbs more moisture while the peppers bake.
Choose peppers that sit flat when halved, or trim a sliver from the rounded side so they do not tip in the dish.
Filled, unbaked peppers keep a day in the fridge. Baked leftovers keep three days; reheat covered at 350°F.
Contains: tree nuts (walnuts).
For nut-free, use toasted sunflower seeds in place of the walnuts.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F and cook the rice according to the package directions.
Slice the bell pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
Set about half of the garbanzo beans aside and mash the rest with a fork.
Mix the rice with the kale, both the mashed and the whole beans, the walnuts, salt and pepper.
Fill the pepper halves with the mix, place them in a baking dish and cover.
Bake about 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake 5 minutes more, then serve.

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