Mom's Soul-Soothing Stuffed Peppers, Vegan-Style

Cook rice. Make it flavorful by adding some veggie bouillon powder, vegan butter, and/or salt in the cooking water.

Cut tops off peppers and deseed. Steam them (including tops) for 15 minutes in rice cooker as you cook the rice, if you have this option. Otherwise, boil them for 5 minutes and then remove promptly (dump water out of them) and put in a deep Pyrex or Corningware dish; a bowl or something with high sides. They should not be fully cooked but if they are, don't worry.

Saute onion in oil of choice in a large pan. Add the fresh herbs* after a minute. When onions are translucent, add veggie crumbles, corn and 1 can of tomato sauce.

When all is cooked through, reduce or turn off heat until you can add the rice to this mix. Salt & pepper to taste. Add a pinch of some onion powder too. Just season the mix til you like the flavor.

Spoon stuffing into the peppers in the Pyrex dish. (If you end up with extra stuffing, combine it with sauce in step 6.).

Pour the remaining can of tomato sauce into the bottom of the Pyrex dish, so the peppers are swimming in it.

Bake at 400°F for 30 - 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling or tops of peppers are getting a little rim of black.

Serve over mashed potatoes; trust me.

* Herbs are flexible: I had fresh basil I had to use plus rosemary from the garden, but you can use dry ones to taste, in any combo you might like: I usually go Italian-style. Oregano works fine too.