Stuffed Peppers With Vegetables, Wild Rice, and Lemongrass

A simple mixture of veggies and wild rice cooked in olive oil gets stuffed into sweet bell peppers for a healthy gluten-free meal that can also be prepared vegan.

Stuffed Peppers With Vegetables, Wild Rice, and Lemongrass [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Ingredients

• 8-ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) wild rice and 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 small (peeled) stalks lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 medium sweet bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 medium zucchini, (spiralized or chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chili sauce
• 1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), plus additional for topping
• 1 cup vegetable stock 
• 1 1/2 cups, vegan shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup your choice of vegan protein cooked (beans, tempeh, or tofu)

Preparation

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water, lemongrass stalks, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes until liquid is absorbed. (It won't be quite done, but that's what you want.) Remove lemongrass and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium to large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic and pepitas. Stir over heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant then add the tomato, zucchini, sriracha, partially cooked rice, stock, chicken (or beans) and 1 cup of vegan cheese. Remove from heat and prepare the peppers.
3. Cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds. Divide the rice filling among the peppers and sprinkle with a handful of pepitas.
4. Place the peppers in a baking dish (I used a cast iron skillet to bake mine but a glass baking dish works fine) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until peppers are starting to get dark spots and look all crinkled. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and serve hot.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/stuffed-peppers-vegetables-wild-rice-lemongrass-gluten-free/