These are great for a zesty snack, or a nice side dish to accompany a great South American meal. The peppers have a hardy taste in a surprisingly low-calorie recipe.

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
? cup quick-cooking brown rice
2 tablespoons hot water
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained
½ (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

Step 1-Arrange pepper halves in a 9 inch square glass baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap for vents, and heat 4 minutes in the microwave, or until tender.

Step 2-In a medium bowl, mix tomatoes and their liquid, rice, and water. Cover with plastic, and cook in the microwave for 4 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Step 3-Stir green onions, corn, kidney beans, and red pepper flakes into the tomato mixture. Heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, or until heated through.

Step 4-Spoon hot tomato mixture evenly into pepper halves, and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic to vent steam, and heat in the microwave 4 minutes. Remove plastic, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, and allow to stand 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

Yields: 4 servings