Tofu-Stuffed Bell Peppers With a Twist

A flavorful, hearty main that is low fat and vegan. The "twist" is foregoing tomato sauce and including eggplant and chili powder to the filling instead. The filling holds together better than most eggless mixtures of this type and could also be used as a vegetarian loaf. Some nuts or seeds would be a good addition to the filling to provide textural contrast.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup brown rice, raw
• 1  eggplant, cubed
• 15  ounces firm tofu, crumbled and pressed to remove liquid
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  scallions, sliced
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  teaspoon chili powder
•  salt
•  pepper
• 4  bell peppers, red preferred
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and prepare a 9X13 pan by spraying with cooking spray or oiling lightly.
2. Cook brown rice according to package directions. You could use 1 1/2 c leftover rice instead.
3. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables according to ingredients list. Also, halve peppers longitudinally and remove seeds and membrane.
4. Saute eggplant in a frying pan on medium-high heat in half the oil. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Remove to a large, heat-resistant bowl when cooked.
5. Add remaining oil to the pan and saute tofu, garlic, and scallions. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder and cook until tofu becomes golden and somewhat crisp. Place in bowl with eggplant.
6. Add cooked rice to the vegetables and stir to combine. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and broth and add to the mixture.
7. Lightly salt bell pepper cavities if desired. Pack with filling mixture and put in prepared pan. Add enough water or broth to the pan to fill it by about 1/2 inch.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is crisp on top and peppers are cooked, but not mushy.