Super Easy Stuffed Peppers

This is one of our favorite recipes here at Envizion Medical and our Nutritional Counselors love it too! It's so easy to prep and customize to your liking. This one features Mediterranean ingredients and seasoninings like olives, garlic, lemon and parsley for a bright, fresh and flavourful result.

Ingredients

• Fresh Bell Peppers
• Lemon Juice
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Can be substituted with water or broth for an oil-free recipe.)
• Italian Seasoning - or- Dried Oregano, Cumin, and Paprika
• 15 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
• White Beans (Can be substituted with kidney beans or navy beans.)
• Black Olives

Step 1

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and spices to the skillet, stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 2

Stir in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until most of the liquid from the diced tomatoes is cooked off.

Step 3

Place the white beans, ¾ of the minced parsley, olives, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the mixture from the skillet along with the cooked quinoa and mix well until fully combined. Season with additional salt & pepper to taste.

Step 4

Spoon the mixture into the halved peppers and place them in a baking dish. They might fit in one large dish or you may need 2 to fit them all. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25-35 minutes depending on how crisp you like the peppers. Remove from the oven, top with chopped walnuts, and the reserved minced parsley.

Variations

• Swap the Protein: Switch up the protein by adding some cooked tofu, tempeh, vegafn sausage, chickpeas, lentils, or red kidney beans. 
• Add Heat: Spice it up by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or red chili flake to the filling before baking. 
• Add More Veggies: Give them a boost of vegetables by chopping up some mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, or spinach and sautéing before adding to the filling. 
• Vary the Herbs: Try fresh dill, rosemary or oregano.
• Swap the Nuts: Slivered almonds or pine nuts are delicious mixed in or sprinkled on top, in addition to or as an alternative to walnuts.

Author

Rachel A. Life Enthusiast