Mindful Mondays: Honey-Lime Mexican Stuffed Peppers [Vegetarian]

Every once in a while, a craving for Mexican stuffed peppers will hit with a vengeance.

I’ve tried a few different recipes, usually with meat and the use of a slow cooker. While these are yummy, they can be packed with fat because of the meat grease and a not-so-healthy dose of cheese. I wanted to play around with a healthier Mexican stuffed pepper option while also making use of a bunch of ingredients I had in the fridge thanks to weekend meal prep.

The final concoction was this: a vegetarian, honey-lime Mexican stuffed pepper that uses wheat berries, lentils, and sweet potato to mimic the texture of meat. In addition, it’s a little bit sweet and packs a whole lot of flavor. After trying these you’ll probably never go back to your other Mexican stuffed pepper recipes!

Vegetarian Honey-Lime Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Introducing a New Blog Series: Mindful Mondays

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is find ways to substitute vegetables for meat or other caloric ingredients. Lentils, eggplant, zoodles, spaghetti squash…you name it, I’ve used it. Match this natural curiosity for substituting with one of my New Year’s goal list to-dos (you know, the typical “be healthier” resolution) and we have a new idea. Why not hold myself accountable for healthy meal planning by starting a new series on the blog, where every Monday I make sure to post a healthy recipe?

And that’s how this new blog series, Mindful Mondays, was born. So every Monday, check back in to see what healthy meal I created the week prior. You can also expect to find healthy-but-still-yummy recipes and nutritional information.

Onto These Healthy Mexican Stuffed Peppers

As I mentioned before, I used a lot of ingredients left over from my weekend meal prep. I highly encourage you to prepare some of these ingredients ahead of time. Cooking lentils, wheat berries, sweet potatoes, and preparing dried Ancho chiles on a weeknight is just outrageous. Also, I’m a big believer that weekend meal prep helps you stick to a balanced diet during the work week.

So I’ve highlighted the steps you can do ahead in the recipe below. I also purposefully called for more make-ahead ingredients than this recipe needs so that you can have leftovers for other meals. However, if this isn’t your style, I measured out exactly what you need for only these vegetarian stuffed peppers, too.

What Do Honey Lime Stuffed Peppers Taste Like?

Good question. Thanks to the cumin, chili powder, and chiles, these are still reminiscent of your typical Mexican stuffed peppers. However, these are definitely sweeter thanks to the honey. So if you’re worried about this, have sour cream on hand for garnish (note this isn’t included in the nutritional info below).

In terms of overall taste, these have a savory finish despite being sweeter. It also has a lovely mixture of textures that explode in your mouth. You get crunch from the pepper, freshness from the lime and cilantro, a satisfying gummy texture from the wheat berries, and a creaminess from the avocado. There’s also subtle heat from the Ancho chile. But you can add even more by subbing in chipotle.

So, without further ado, here are the directions for these yummy Mexican stuffed peppers. I’d also love to hear what you think of them in the comments!

The Recipe:

Serves 4 (1 stuffed pepper each) | Active 60 minutes | ~90 minutes total

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry wheat berries
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 small-medium dried Ancho chile pepper (about 2 Tbsp. when chopped)
• 2 cups crushed fire-roasted tomato
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika)
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• Juice from one lime
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed (I highly recommend Trader Joe’s roasted corn!)
• 4 bell peppers, tops, seeds, & ribs removed
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Avocado, cilantro, & lime wedges for serving (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions:

Most of this prep can be done ahead. I’ve separated out steps 1-6: These are the ones I encourage you to do over the weekend!

Note, I’ve purposely measured out larger quantities of the lentils & wheat berries than this recipe requires so you have extra for other uses. If you aren’t interested in having left overs, cut the dry measurements in half and adjust the amount of water you use to maintain the appropriate ratios (that’s 3:1 for the wheat berries and 2:1 for the lentils). I’ve included the adjusted measurements below.

Step 1

Cook the wheat berries: Rinse the wheat berries under water and pick over for any stones. Add the wheat berries, 3 cups of water, and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-60 minutes (The cooking time will depend on your wheat berries.).

Pro tip: If you don’t want left over wheat berries, use 1/2 cup dry wheat berries and 1.5 cups water.

Step 2

Cook the lentils: Rinse the lentils under water and pick over for any stones. Add the lentils and 2 cups of water to a pot. Bring the water to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the temperature to maintain a very gentle simmer (you should only see a few bubbles). Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until tender. Strain the lentils, season with salt, and set aside.

Pro tip: If you don’t want left over lentils, use 1/2 cup dry lentils and 1 cup water.

Step 3

Prepare the sweet potato: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork and add to a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes until tender. Let cool & then remove sweet potato skin. Cut the sweet potato in half and put one of the halves in a large bowl (reserve the other half for another use). Mash and set aside.

Step 4

Prepare the dried Ancho chile: Heat water in a tea kettle (enough to cover the chile). Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chile to the pan, using gloves (or a plastic bag!) the whole time you are handling it. Toast in the dry skillet for 1 minute, flipping once, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and (using your gloves again), transfer the chile to a bowl. Add the hot water and steep for 30 minutes until soft.

Step 5

Transfer the chile to a cutting board. Chop off the stem, butterfly the chile, and remove any seeds and white ribs. Chop the chile.

Pro tip: Use a separate cutting board to avoid chile heat contaminating your everyday board.

Step 6

Using a food processor, puree the Ancho chile with 1 cup of the fire-roasted tomato sauce until well blended. Set aside.

Step 7

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and brown in some areas, 7 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper halfway through.

Step 8

Add the garlic, cumin, smoke paprika, coriander, and chili powder. Then stir and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Step 9

In the bowl with the sweet potato mash, add the fire roasted tomato/Ancho chile mixture, honey, & lime juice. Whisk to incorporate. Add the chopped cilantro, onion mixture, corn, 1 cup cooked lentils, and 1 cup cooked wheat berries to the bowl (reserve the rest of the lentils and wheat berries for another use). Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

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Everything above this line can be done ahead. If you decide to make the whole Mexican stuffed pepper filling ahead, just bring to room temperature before baking.

1. Microwave the bell peppers for about 3 minutes to soften. Set aside.
2. Ladle 1 cup of the crushed roasted tomatoes (without the Ancho chile) into a casserole dish. Nestle the bell peppers in the dish and then fill them with the stuffing mixture. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the stuffed peppers (if using). Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 5 minutes longer.
3. Remove the bell peppers from the over and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with avocado, lime wedges, and additional cilantro if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 525 | Fat from calories: 181.5 | Fat: 21 g | Saturated fat: 7.5 g | Cholesterol: 26 mg | Sodium: 405.5 mg | Carbs: 70.3 mg | Fiber: 18 g | Sugars: 21 g | Protein: 18 g

Nutritional Facts Disclaimer: I am not a registered nutritionist and therefore these numbers are approximate. I researched the serving sizes and facts for each ingredient in this recipe (mostly using the manufacturer labels and this site), but slight variations in things like seasoning, garnishes, and substitutions can change the nutritional information. Use this information only as a general indication of your nutritional intake.