One of my favorite dinners to make is stuffed peppers; they are so fun to make, because you can get creative and add whatever vegetable, grain, or delicious morsel you desire to the filling. If you are a meat eater, you can add chopped up sausage for an extra protein punch. Vegetarians will get their full dose of protein when using Quinoa, because it is a complete protein! Stuffed peppers are very filling and are great served with a small salad or delicious crispy Roasted Broccoli. Enjoy this delectable plant based recipe; get creative and have fun in the process.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

4 Bell Peppers(Mixed colors)

2 Cups Chopped Spinach

1/2 Cup Chopped Calamata Olives

1/2 Cup Chopped Tomatoes

1 Cup Mushrooms

1 Onion-Chopped

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 Cup Quinoa

2 Cups Vegetable Stock

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees.

To make Quinoa, follow instructions on the package, substitute water for vegetable stock to add flavor. Add coconut oil, salt and cumin to boiling liquid. Make sure all moisture is absorbed into the quinoa. Fluff and set aside.

Wash peppers and cut off the tops and cut a little bit off the bottoms so the peppers can sit upright. Remove seeds and pepper innards. Set Peppers aside.

Sauté mushrooms,spinach and onion in olive until slightly soft, chop tomatoes and olives. With a wooden spoon, fold everything into quinoa mixture. Add lemon, salt, pepper and olive to taste. Feel free to substitute or add different vegetables/beans into quinoa mixture. Also, if for some weird reason you are not a fan of quinoa, this recipe will work with brown rice or couscous.

Place peppers in a glass baking dish. Fill with 1 inch of warm water. With a large spoon, stuff peppers with quinoa mixture. Be liberal with the quinoa, make sure the peppers are fully stuffed.

Bake for 1 hour or until the pepper is soft and the quinoa is browned.

Let cool for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli

1 Head of Broccoli

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

2-3 Shakes of Red Chili Flakes

Preheat oven to 425. Wash and Dry broccoli. Chop Broccoli florets off the stems and into smaller bite sized pieces. In a medium bowl toss broccoli with a olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. With your hands, massage olive oil into the heads of the florets ensuring a crispy finish.

Place Broccoli on a baking sheet covered with tin foil or parchment paper.

Roast for 15-20 minutes until broccoli is slightly browned and crispy.

Remember to share as this dish can be quite addicting!