Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I saw a similar recipe to this a few months back on Pinterest, and it looked so good! The recipe I saw used rice and veggies as the stuffing (which I'm sure is just as good). I hadn't gotten around to trying it until a couple weeks ago and let me tell y'all, bell peppers have never tasted so good!  This is an awesome gluten-free dish also, and really healthy too!

I like to use red, orange or yellow peppers because of their natural sweetness, but feel free to use green if you like. You can also flavor it up to whatever you're feeling that day; add fresh basil and parsley for Italian with chunks of mozzarella or for a Mediterranean  twist add parsley, lemon and feta. You can add whatever veggies you like best, I made the roasted veggie quinoa posted on our blog, and added some mushrooms and spinach with crumbled feta, SO good! However you make it, you'll love it...trust me! Try it out at your next get together.

Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers cut lengthways
- Roasted veggie quinoa
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- Shredded cheese blend to top peppers
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms sauteed (optional)
- 2 cups fresh chopped spinach sauteed and drained (Optional)
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (Optional)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Make roasted veggie quinoa according the directions, add sauteed mushrooms and spinach (optional). Cool for 10-15 minutes and then add crumbled feta.
- Stuff bell peppers with about 1/2 cup quinoa mixture.
- In a 2-3 inch deep tray (pyrex lasagna trays are ideal), pour tomato sauce on the bottom and place bell peppers (cut side up) on top of the sauce, cover lightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove foil and sprinkle with desired amount of shredded cheese, and place back in the over for additional 10 minutes or until cheese in golden and bubbly.
- Allow peppers to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving size- Serves 4

Serving suggestions- To make this dish really flavorful, use pasta sauce for Mediterranean or Italian stuffed peppers, or enchilada sauce for Mexican stuffed peppers.

Quinoa Khichadi

Khichadi, pronounced key-ch-dee, is a traditional west Indian dish that is eaten when they're in a rush to cook, or when you're sick, or when it's cold outside and you want something soupy, hearty, and filling.  There are various forms of khichadi and one of the forms of it is made with tapioca seeds so that it can be eaten when one is fasting, because it is considered "kosher" sorta speaking.  I wanted a healthier version of this kosher khichadi so I decided to make a couple of substitutions and it turned out to be a hit!  I have to say that I absolutely love khichadi in all forms and every version there is but this one is quickly becoming my fav and I am sure that it will be yours too!    

Ingredients:
1-2 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1- 1.5 TBSP raw or Spanish peanuts
1- 2 tsp serrano and ginger mixture (just blend the two together)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1- 1.5 tsp cayenne powder
1/2 cup roma tomatoes, diced
Salt to taste (roughly 1 tsp)
1 & 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (follow directions on package to cook)
3/4 cup sweet potatoes, cubed
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 & 1/2 TBSP cilantro for garnishment

Directions:
1. In a pot, heat oil and add cumin seeds.
2. Once the seeds start to turn a darker shade of brown, add curry leaves and serrano and ginger mixture.
3. Stir in peanuts and cook for about a minute.
4. Add sweet potatoes and roughly 1/4 cup of water to cook them in.
5. Add salt, cumin & coriander powders, salt, cayenne powder, & stir.
6. Cover pot and cook potatoes until they are thoroughly done (roughly 10 minutes). You may have to add a bit more water if it burns off and the potatoes are still not cooked.  You will know they are done cooking when you can stick a knife into one of the potatoes and it goes it all the way through.
7. Once the potatoes have cooked all the way through, stir in tomatoes & quinoa. Add lemon juice, sugar, and more salt or more oil if needed.
8. Cook until everything is mixed well and thoroughly heated.
9. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Chocolate Breakfast Quinoa

Happy Sunday all! I hope everyone had a great weekend & is as ready for this upcoming week as I am.  This week's recipe is one that was inspired from a fitness magazine article.  I actually made it a few weeks back and it turned out OK…I wasn't thrilled with the results but if made with a couple of alterations, it would be a lot better.  Initially, I cooked the quinoa with milk but next time, I will use water because the milk gave it a funny after taste.  I would also recommend using sweetened coconut flakes & toasted almond slivers so that it gives it more of a nutty taste and a nice little crunch.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw quinoa
1 - 1 & 1/4 cup water
Dash of sea salt
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
2 TBSP sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract  
Sliced almonds
A couple of drops of peppermint extract

Directions:
1.  Bring water to a boil and add quinoa & sea salt.
2.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook quinoa until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
3.  Remove quinoa from stove place in a bowl.
4.  Add vanilla & peppermint extracts, cocoa powder, honey, coconut flakes, & almonds and mix.
5.  Enjoy!

    

Roasted Veggie Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite "go to" items that has now become a staple in our house.  Quinoa is grain like in texture but technically it is a seed.  It is packed with protein and adapts to anything you cook it with.  This particular recipe is one of my personal favorites because it's quick and easy to make yet very filling.  I tend to eat it by itself but my hubby likes to stuff it in a tortilla and eat it burrito style.  I hope you try it at home and enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa (follow directions on the package to cook)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (I used green, yellow, orange, & red peppers all mixed together)
1/3 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp if you're using a lemon juice concentrate)
10 average size mint leaves (chopped finely)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pam or another non stick cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Place a non stick pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp EVOO.
2.  Add frozen corn to the pan and spray 2 shots of Pam.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Roast corn until it starts to brown (about 5-6 minutes).
4.  Transfer corn to a different bowl and roast the bell peppers the same way as the corn using the remainder of the EVOO in the same pan.
5.  After the bell peppers are done roasting, add corn and cooked quinoa to the pan.
6.  Add in lemon juice, mint, and stir.
7.  Add salt and pepper if needed.
8.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the entire dish is thoroughly heated.
9.  Enjoy!