Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4-5 bell peppers
- 1/2 cup quinoa or rice
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup lentils cooked
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves finely chopped
- 1 cup canned corn rinsed
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup marble cheese grated
Toppings (optional)
- Tzatziki
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable stock and water to a boil. Add the quinoa or rice and reduce to a simmer. If preparing quinoa, let it cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender. If preparing rice, let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa or rice, lentils, spinach, canned corn, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
- Drizzle the mixture with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Wash the peppers, cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and inside edges.
- Scoop the stuffing mixture into the pepper, pressing it down with every spoonful. Continue until the mixture is heaping over the edges. Sprinkle the tops with grated cheese.
- Place the stuffed peppers in a 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown and the peppers are cooked through.
- Allow the peppers to cool for 10 minutes. Add your desired toppings, pair with a side of greens and/or grains and enjoy!
Notes
Substitute for quinoa: Feel free to use your favourite grain in this recipe. Instead of quinoa you can use any type of rice or couscous.
Substitute for lentils: Lentils are used in this recipe because of their small size. However, you may choose to use another type of pulse. For example, chickpeas, navy beans, black beans, pinto beans, edamame, etc.
High-protein plant-based combination: To maximize on the protein intake of this recipe, I recommend using quinoa as the grain, lentils or edamame as the plant-based protein, sprinkling the cheese on top and even adding a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top right before serving.
Looking for a meat version? Feel free to use ground chicken or turkey in place of or in addition to the lentils.