Cuban Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers

I had planned on making Mexican Stuffed Peppers tonight for supper. That didn't quite work out once I realized my tomato had gone bad and I knew M wouldn't eat the black beans. After searching the internet for a while for other stuffed pepper recipes, I gave up because most seemed to have ground beef in them, which I had no interest in using. I decided to invent my own variation.

I wanted to use kidney beans because M will eat red beans (just not black beans---typical 3 year old!). I found a basic Cuban red beans and rice and decided to stuff the peppers with that. The recipe called for making your own beans. I just basically sauteed a half a chopped onion and two cloves minced garlic. Meanwhile I cooked white rice. After the rice was cooked, I mixed in 1/2 t cumin (it could have used more) to the onions and garlic and one can of kidney beans. I heated it and then added rice to just heat everything. I stuffed the two bell peppers that I had steamed in an inch or so of boiling water for 6 minutes. I put the remainder of the filling around the peppers in a 9 x 9" baking pan and topped the peppers with crumbled goat cheese and the extra filling with cheddar. I baked it all in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes.

All in all it was ok. Everyone ate it. J loved the beans, M was fine with it, Curtis thought it was good, but I thought it was rather bland. I didn't remember to add salt and the beans and rice needed a good dose of salt (or something). I may try again, but I want to find a better way of seasoning it.