Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

We are a few weeks into our dietary experimentation and things are going very well.  Making the move to (lacto-ovo) veg was easier than either of us expected.  This was partly due to the fact that we were almost veg already, partly to the fact that we had both been thinking about going veg for a while and so were really ready for it, and partly because veg is so abundant and easy and good here.  But it has also been a lot more than easy: we both physically feel really good, we love our new menu, both at home and out, and we are both a little more comfortable in the world, knowing that we have lessened our ecological impact and have taken a little bit of violence out of our lives and out of the world.  So yes, going veg has been very nice.

So in that spirit, we thought we might start sharing some of our better recipes.  First up, an easy and old stand-by.  This recipe came from a raw cook book, hence the call to dehydrate the peppers and sprout the quinoa.  We don’t have a dehydrator, so we just eat the peppers as they are; you can also sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop the whole thing in the oven for a few minutes.  We also cook our quinoa.  But be creative!  Enjoy. 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

For the peppers:

4 red bell peppers

Olive oil

1/ 4 cup chopped parsley

For the quinoa mix:

1 cup sprouted or cooked quinoa

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1 red bell pepper, cleaned and chopped

1 green bell pepper, cleaned and chopped

1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

5-6 tomatoes, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1/ 4 cup raw almonds, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and discard. Brush with just a hint of olive oil and dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour.

Prepare quinoa.  Add the carrots and bell peppers.  Set aside to cool.

Sauté mushroom and onion until soft.  Add to quinoa, carrot, bell pepper mix.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Add to quinoa, carrot, bell pepper, mushroom, onion mix.

Stuff the peppers with room temperature or slightly warmed quinoa mix, and top with a dusting of fresh parsley to serve.