Monday…here again? How sad.
You know how sometimes you’re so busy having fun that you have no time to relax and catch up with all the demands of life (laundry, lesson planning, cooking, etc.)?? That has been the story of the past 6 weeks of my life.
Whirlwind of fun. Exhausting but wouldn’t have done it differently for the world.
Except for one thing…the ease at which I’ve passed by workout opportunities. Whether the alternative is sleep, work, or whatever else (seeing Footloose was the case this weekend), I am not making time for exercise. I only clocked 2 workouts last week and that is completely, 100% unacceptable.
And here’s the ironic thing. I LIKE working out. I just don’t always LIKE finding time to workout. Or finding the time to then deal with things like a head of wet hair after a shower. Men have it so easy…
But this week is going to be different. I’m not traveling this weekend (though I am working Saturday – boo). I have a healthy Weekly Menu planned. And I WILL be making time for 5 (or more!) workouts this week. It’s time to refocus on health, as well as balance, in my life.
With that said, I strongly recommend this recipe to you! Healthy. Balanced. Cost-effective. Quick. Delicious. And if you are vegetarian, you’re about to hit the jackpot. Or win the blog recipe lottery of the day.
Are you ready??
Stuffed Poblano Peppers slightly adapted from A Couple Cooks and Lolly’s Sweet Treats
4 large poblano peppers
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used homemade, but any will do!)
1 15oz can black beans
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup 2% Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Directions:
Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
Slice each poblano pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and ribs.
Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil for 3-5 minutes and then flip the peppers and broil 3-5 minutes longer. Note: My broiler was set at 550 F. Just be sure to watch the peppers to be sure they char, but don’t overly burn.
Drain and rinse the black beans. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the beans, salsa, corn, a quarter cup of cheese, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the filling for about 2-3 minutes in the microwave (or until warm), stirring after each 30 second increment. Stir in the rice.
Spoon the filling into each half. Top with the remaining cheese and broil until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings (2 pepper halves each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 311 calories; 4.8 g. fat; 8 mg. cholesterol; 374 mg. sodium; 54.3 g. carbohydrate; 9.8 g. fiber; 14.3 g. protein
Result: Spicy, filling, and SUPER healthy! And did I mention quick? So quick! For extra time savings, use minute brown rice, or even instant. OR plan this meal with brown rice leftovers on hand. It’s hard to manage a meal just over 300 calories that low in fat and high in fiber (nearly 10 grams!). The sodium is also in check despite the use of canned beans 😀 If you’re not a fan of spicy, make this with bell peppers. Loved this meal and will be making it again! Husband-approved, too!
[/print_this]Like I eluded to above, I am choosing to change and adapt to life rather than let it weigh me down. Literally and figuratively. I have to learn to say no at times…and always make time for me. And my family. All of the things I have been neglecting as of late.
Phew. I feel better just saying that all “out loud”.
Question: Are you satisfied with meatless meals?
Have a great week!
Be well,
YUM! Can’t wait to try these!
Yeah, I’ll be honest Nicole, I can never imagine how you get everything done each day!! I feel like I spend too much time on my blog as is, and I only post 3 times a week..you post every day! Maybe I’m just really slow (which, I’ll admit, I am, it takes me longer to do most things).
This recipe does sound fantastic. The best thing is NO GARLIC! Do you and Mark like Chicken marsala? I was thinking of making that on november 11th. If that’s no good, let me know!
Oh, and, good game on Saturday 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Yes, we love chicken marsala! Can’t wait!
And we sooo should’ve won! I was in a wedding and didn’t see any of the game, but I heard we just sucked it up big time :(((((
I am totally okay with meatless meals, but they don’t satisfy the husband. Every once in a while he won’t notice, but he will normally ask “where’s the meat?” and be hungry soon after, which I think is totally psychological!!
I wrote similar sentiments just last week. Need to find balance, learn how to say no, and still enjoy all of the things and people I love. I think it means a lot that we are able to recognize that, now it’s time to do something about it! Good luck with your journey!
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Mr. P does that sometimes, too. Silly dudes!!! 🙂
I’m a huge fan of meatless meals and this one looks super satisfying and delicious! I think even my hubby (who is the meat lover in our family) would be 100% satisfied with it!
I am always satisfied with meatless meals! This one looks fantastic! I might use the bell peppers since i’m NOT a fan of spice! YUM! Going on the menu sometime soon!
I need to have a start-over week this week as well and I’m looking forward to some good healthy eats. This veg meal sounds amazing! I’m definitely adding it to my to-make-immediately list!
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Here’s to a week of healthy eats…cheers!
Ok – I have to try these. They sound AMAZING!!
Also, last night I made that ricotta pasta you posted, it was amazing. So glad I tried it. 🙂
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I’m so glad you liked the ricotta pasta…and so impressed you had time to whip up even that meal! You’re swamped and I know it! You rock!!!
I can completely relate to time flying by and letting the workout go by the wayside. Sometimes we just need to say it outloud (or write it on a blog) and press the re-set button 🙂 Your recipe looks delicious.
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Re-set, yep! Thanks for your sweet comment 🙂
I basically grew up on pasta, so meatless meals satisfy me completely!
Oh yum! This looks delicious!
Hi Nicole. Love this post, I’m guilty of skipping workouts too. I hope that I can get myself back on the movement track VERY soon!! Have a great week.
Author
Here’s to a great week! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to make stuffed peppers for a while now! I need to get on that! Recipe looks great – I’d probably sub bell peppers for the poblano just because I like things more mild, but other than that, it looks good!
I love meatless meals! And that’s saying something because I used to be a huge meat eater who hated meatless meals! I think a lot of it is just learning that meatless meals don’t automatically have to equate to fish sticks (which we always had during Lent, so I got pretty bored of those fast – although now I actually have a newfound love for them!) or plain old pasta.
I think it’s all about giving foods you thought you hated another try – I used to hate bell peppers, now I love them! Didn’t happen overnight, I would just add a small amount to salads now and again, and eventually my tastebuds grew used to them and began to love them. Now I add bell pepper to my salads every single day – how about that!
It’s also about learning more about foods, nutrition, and cooking. By reading food blogs and browsing through cookbooks, I learned that meatless meals could include delicious things like bean soups and pasta primavera (pasta with veggies). Before, the only time you would find me eating beans is if I had chili (once in a blue moon) or if I was eating a hot dog with baked beans on the side. Then I started reading about different foods, like beans, and learned that they were a great source of fiber and protein. My bf decided to make a bean soup one day, just trying to use up what was there, and came up the most delicious recipe simply by throwing a few things together. That soup is now one of my favorite things to eat – it is not only healthy, but filling without being heavy.
And that’s the thing about eating meatless meals – once you start eating more and more of them, you start realizing that you actually don’t miss meat all that much. Sometimes when I eat meat now, it feels heavy to me, whereas when I eat vegetarian meals it makes me feel satisfied but not weighted down.
Funny thing is, I used to be a burger kind of girl. Every time I went to a restaurant, I would order a burger. Then my bf started eating more meatless meals, and since I always eat with him, I did too. I would try his food and see that I liked it, and so I started ordering vegetarian meals as well. Now when I go to restaurants I usually opt for a vegetarian sandwich if they have one, instead of a burger, or some other vegetarian entree. It’s not that I don’t eat meat anymore, it’s just that I find I enjoy meatless meals sometimes even more.
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I totally agree! Thank you for your comment!!
I LOVE meatless Mondays (although it wasn’t today 🙂 )! Good source of protein and beautiful presentation! Kudos!
Oooh, this sounds like something I’d love! I’m a sucker for any kind of spicy food! Plus the fact that it’s filled with salsa and beans isn’t too bad either. 😉
Nicole, these look amazing, Like, I need to go buy poblano peppers, stat.
Hope you have a good week of workouts!
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I actually thought of you when I made these…seem right up your alley!
I’m glad you’re having so much fun! These peppers look amazing – perfect for football food. The guys will love it.
These look SO good! I love stuffed peppers, and poblanos are the best. I miss the days my dad would grow them in his garden!
Ugh, I’ve been traveling and lazy lately and haven’t worked out in a week – must change that! These look so tasty!
Too spicy for me! And I like spicy food. I would cut back on the cumin, not because it’s hot but it was just too much cumin. To decrease heat, I would halve the chili pepper and leave the red pepper out. Perhaps the spices didn’t have time to develop. Fortunately, I have leftover rice so I’m having them with rice to cut the spiciness.
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Sorry to hear that, Vera. I think peppers can vary a LOT in their spiciness – I’ve had some jalapenos I could eat like pickles and others that had me in tears. Were you sure to remove the seeds and membranes?
I removed the seeds and membranes. It wasn’t the peppers that were too spicy. It was the stuffing.
Author
Did you measure the cayenne? Use hot salsa? Cumin isn’t spicy so I guess that’s what I am unclear about. Anyways, I’m sorry you didn’t like the pepper…we loved them!
I made these tonight for me and my husband they are absolutely amazing! Instead of brown rice though I made some quinoa, and I made homemade salsa too. AMAZING! Definitely a keeper recipe. I also used a roasted chipotle chile rather than the chili powder to give it even more heat. We love spicy! Can’t wait to make it again. Definitely packing some up for lunch tomorrow! 🙂
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I’m so glad you both enjoyed them! 🙂
Made this for supper and it was nice and filling with some fruit on the side. I have a good amount of extra filling, I could’ve filled at least 1 other pepper. Maybe the poblanos I bought were just small. Will definitely be making again!
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Caitlin: I’m so glad you enjoyed these! I think poblanos can vary a lot in size…plus I tend to get down and dirty with stuffing them and stuff them chock full! Overflowing, even 🙂