Southwest Stuffing

Leftover cooked rice is a terrific building block for last-minute dinners. You can turn it into a main-course salad, add it to a filling for burritos, make fried rice or combine it with some pantry staples and stuff it into peppers as I have done here.

One cup of uncooked rice yields three cups of cooked rice, plenty for a family of four. Double the quantity next time you make rice and you’re almost ready for another meal.

If you love rice as much as I do, you might be interested in buying an automatic rice cooker. It is one of my favorite kitchen appliances because it needs no watching. Add rice, water and salt, and in 20 minutes you have fluffy steamed rice--nothing sticks or boils over, and the rice stays warm until serving time.

*

Diane Morgan is author of “The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition,” (Chronicle Books, $18.95).

*

Stuffed Peppers Southwest-Style

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

6 red or yellow bell peppers

2 cups cooked rice

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, diced

1 large poblano chile, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Jack cheese

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the bell peppers lengthwise, remove the cores and scrape out the seeds. Place the halves cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, black beans, corn and cilantro.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chile and cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onion is softened but not brown, another 2 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables are browning. Add the salt, cumin, turmeric and paprika. Stir continuously until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the hot pepper sauce. Add this to the rice mixture in the bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Pack this mixture into the pepper halves. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake the peppers, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 to 35 minutes. Place 2 halves on each dinner plate and serve immediately.

6 servings. Each serving: 295 calories; 782 mg sodium; 17 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 7.95 grams fiber.