Impatient Stuffed Peppers

Tonight we planned to make a Mexican Stuffed Pepper recipe I found in the Prevention Diabetes Diet Cookbook, but I made one tiny mistake: Not reading the whole recipe first.

Turns out the recipe calls for slow cooking, in a slow cooker (which I don't yet have) for 6-8 hours. I didn't really want to eat at midnight, so I turned to the cookbook I always go crawling back to when another recipe fails me: The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. And again, it saved the day.

I had already started measuring out ingredients for the slow cooker recipe, so I ended up hybridizing that recipe with the one I found in the New Cook Book, with good results.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers for the Impatient
2 bell peppers
1/2 large white onion
1 1/2 tspn red wine vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 tspn cumin
1/8 tspn cinnamon
1/4 tspn salt
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1/4 cup water
2 slices cheese

Cut tops off peppers. Discard seeds and membranes, but save the tops and dice. Cook the whole peppers, uncovered, in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain well and place in ceramic ramekins, set in a baking dish. In a skillet, cook the onion, diced pepper, and ground pork until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Add the undrained can of tomatoes, uncooked rice, water, vinegar and a dash of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes (until rice is tender). Stuff peppers with the meat mixture, then top each with a cheese slice. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.