The bell pepper, named for its bell-like shape, is also sometimes called a sweet pepper. Both sweet and hot peppers are native to the Americas. They were taken back to Europe by Christopher Columbus, where they immediately became a popular addition to the Spanish cuisine.

Bell peppers range in color from a rich, dark green to red, yellow, orange, purple, brown and black. Green bell peppers are available throughout the year, but the other colors are all seasonal and usually are more expensive. For a more colorful presentation of these stuffed bell peppers, you may prefer to use red bell peppers.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
4 medium green bell peppers
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) low-fat, low-sodium tomato soup, divided use
1 cup cooked rice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Cut the tops off of the peppers, and carefully remove and discard the seeds. Steam the seeded peppers over boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until they can easily be pierced with a knife.

Spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat until it is hot enough for drops of water to dance on the surface. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of the tomato soup and all of the other remaining ingredients, and mix well. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the mixture into each pepper. Place the stuffed peppers in the prepared casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the peppers start to brown.

To serve, heat the remaining soup and spoon 1 tablespoon of it over the top of each pepper as a sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: 353 calories; 13 gm fat; 59 mg cholesterol; 540 mg sodium; 32 gm carbohydrates; 25 gm protein; 2 gm fiber.

Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her website, jeannejones.com.

Send your recipe for revision to:
Cook It Light
(Lancaster Newspapers)
P.O. Box 1212
La Jolla, CA 92038
Please include a stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope.