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.

Roasted Fall Potatoes

I call today's recipe "fall potatoes" because lately, I have been seeing various types of potatoes a lot more.  Maybe they have always been there but I haven't ever paid to them...which is also quite possible because I am not necessarily the biggest potato fan in general.  My hubby on the other hand loves potatoes and can eat them every day of the week.  This recipe is one that my dear friend Ryan was sweet enough to share with me because my hubby always talked about how much he loved her roasted taters! Thanks to Ryan's recipe, I can have roasted potatoes on the drop of a dime...yes, they are THAT good! I hope y'all enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

3 medium red potatoes

2 medium purple potatoes 

2 medium sweet potatoes 

1 tsp Lawry's Copycat Seasoned Salt (recipe to follow)

1/2 tsp dried rosemary (use 1 tsp if using fresh)

1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Chop potatoes into relatively small pieces and rinse under cold water until water is clear and you've washed out the starch.

3.  Place potatoes in a large bowl or ziplock bag & add enough olive oil to coat them.

4.  Mix in seasoning, salt, pepper, rosemary, & parsley flakes.

5.  In a non stick pan, bake potatoes for 45 minutes.

6.  Broil for an additional 5 minutes to make them crispy.

Recipe for Lawry's Copycat Seasoned Salt:

Ingredients:

2 TBSP salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp celery salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

2. Pour the blend into an empty spice bottle to store.

   

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!