Mexican Stuffed Peppers - Awesome!

Tonight I used some of the leftover Spanish Rice from last week and made the most delicious stuffed peppers that Tim or I have ever had.  As I started to make them I realized that since I was using Spanish Rice I couldn't go with the Italian flavors that my recipe called for so I started thinking how to make the flavors fit with the mexican flavors.

Not a lot of this was done in the pressure cooker but I did steam the peppers in it before stuffing them and sticking them in the oven.  After last week I wasn't sure if the stupid thing would work but it built up pressure fine and I ran a steam cycle of 3 min.  I have no idea what was wrong with it last week.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

3 large red bell peppers

1 lb hamburger

1 pkt taco seasoning

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 cp chunky salsa

2 cps Mexican rice 

2 cps shredded cheddar

Cut the peppers in half and clean them.  Place them in a steamer and steam 5 minutes.  Remove them and place them in a baking dish. 

Brown the hamburger and drain excess grease.  Stir in the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and salsa.  Add the rice an cheese, stir until it’s evenly mixed together.  Spoon this mixture into the pepper halves.  It should fill them heaping full. 

Bake them about 30 min at 350* to heat them through.  

Spanish Rice - will be better next time

I picked up some flank steak to try homemade Carne Asada.  I decided to make some Spanish Rice to go with it.  I usually start Spanish Rice with a box of Rice a Roni but I didn't have any and I didn't feel like going to the store so I decided to try making some from scratch.  I don't like Spanish Rice that is just plain rice.  I always add black beans, corn and diced tomatoes to the Rice a Roni so I wanted to do the same with this experimental homemade version.

SPANISH RICE - attempt #1
2 cps white rice
2 1/4 cps chicken broth
1 jalapeno, cleaned & diced
Dash of cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 can Bushes black beans
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, original

I tossed every in the pot and gave it a stir.  Then I set the pressure cooker for the 10 min rice cycle.

DAMN PRESSURE COOKER!!!  It wouldn't build up any pressure and yet it acted like it did.  Before when it wouldn't build pressure it never started the cooking cycle so I knew something was wrong.  This time it started the 10 min rice cycle so I thought it was working.  When it finished I went to release the steam but there was no steam.  I checked the seal and tried again, again it started the cycle and, again, at the end there was no steam.  The rice was done by then but I don't know why it isn't working right.

Anyway, the rice was done and it was ok but just a bit bland.  Also there was way more than we need.  I wish I'd had some chili powder for it.  Next time I'm going to cut the rice in half and add chili powder, paprika and oregano.  Maybe another jalapeno or two as well.

Oh BTW, the carne asada was fabulous!!