Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

By: Co+op, stronger together

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Tex-Mex flavors spice up this crowd-pleaser that's equally at home as a weeknight family-friendly meal or for dinner guests.

Ingredients

• 4 medium to large green peppers

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels

• 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked beans, drained and rinsed (black, pinto, or black-eyed peas)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or smoked cheddar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 fresh or pickled jalapeno pepper, diced

• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup salsa

• 1 cup cooked rice (optional)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and bring a stockpot of water to a boil.

2. Cut the green peppers in half through the stems, or leave whole and remove the tops. Remove seeds and thick inner ribs. Blanch peppers for 4 minutes. Remove and reserve.

3. In a large bowl, combine the corn, beans or black-eyed peas, cheese, salt, jalapeno, cilantro, salsa, and rice (if using).

4. Stuff each pepper or pepper half with an equal amount of the filling and place in a baking dish.

5. Add enough water to fill the bottom of the baking dish. Top each pepper or pepper half with a dab of butter and a pinch of paprika and bake 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestion

Top with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole and serve with tortilla chips.

Roasted Tomato Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Chips

Roasting vegetables is an easy way to bring out more flavor. Most salsas call for fresh vegetables, so enjoy this break from the routine. You’ll love the deep, smoky flavors your broiler can bring out! Guests at your independence day gathering this year are sure to be dazzled by your homemade chips and salsa!

Roasted Tomato Salsa with Homemade Chips

By: Co+op, stronger together

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes, halved

• 3 large jalapeños

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1 large onion, cut in 8 wedges

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

• 6 corn tortillas

Preparation

1. Position the top oven rack 6 inches below the broiler, and turn broiler on to high.

2. Place vegetables on a large sheet pan with a rim and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to coat, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Broil for 5 minutes, remove pan from the broiler. Turn the vegetables over, and return to broil for about 5 minutes longer. When vegetables are blackened and soft, transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Once vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove stems and seeds from the jalapeños, and place the peppers in a food processor bowl. Add remaining vegetables and juices from the pan, and puree coarsely. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cumin, a half-teaspoon smoked paprika, lime juice and cilantro.

3. To make the chips, heat the oven to 350°F. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges, drizzle with remaining olive oil, toss to coat, then sprinkle with remaining salt and paprika and toss again. Spread on two sheet pans and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. When the chips are lightly browned and crisp, cool on pans on racks. Serve chips with the salsa.

Serving Suggestion

Besides dipping chips in this tasty salsa, try it on black bean or fish tacos, or atop huevos rancheros. Any leftover salsa can be refrigerated in a closed container for up to a week. The chips will last for up to four days in a sealed container at room temperature