Stuffed Peppers ~ Healthy Eating for Ordinary People

What a whirlwind of a week. What a lot of adjustments. My oldest daughters (twins) are starting high school. My baby is starting 'big girl school.' And my husband is starting his first job as a Physician Assistant after five years of school.

I'm just doing the same-old, same-old. Trying to keep up with my marathon of a life. Full time pressure-cooker job. Four kids. Workouts. Groceries. Laundry.

But somehow it all feels new. New school uniforms. New bus schedules. New friends and teachers. No more baby girl in daycare.

But there is one constant. The peppers. They just don't stop. Our CSA just keeps 'em coming. And coming.

Which is actually ok, because I really do like peppers. Do you?

Stuffed Peppers (Vegan)
This recipe makes six half-peppers, enough to serve 3-6 people depending how much they like peppers and how much other food you're giving them. Confession: I ate three halves. It takes about an hour from start to finish, with about 20 minutes of active prep.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 onion
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder (use less if your chili is hot or you like things less spicy)

a few sprigs of oregano (or substitute ½ t dried)

a few sprigs of parsley

1 large tomato, or 2 plum tomatoes

½ cup cashews

3 large bell peppers (if yours are small, use 4)

Preheat the oven to 375*. Brush a large glass dish with olive oil.

Get your quinoa started. Measure the quinoa into a strainer and rinse well. Pour it into a small saucepan and add the water plus ½ a teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil on a high flame. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a frying pan. Chop your onions pretty fine and sauté them for about 10 minutes, till translucent. Chop your garlic coarsely. Add the garlic, spices, and herbs, plus the extra ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes longer just till your kitchen smells amazing.

Chop the tomato into smallish dice and add it to the onions. Mix it up and let it cook for another minute or two. Coarsely chop the cashews and add those too.

Pour the cooked quinoa into the onions and mix well. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary.

Now, wash and dry the peppers. Cut off the tops and cut each pepper in half. Clean them out, removing the ribs and seeds. Brush the insides and outsides with olive oil and lay the peppers in your prepared pan.

Put a few spoonfuls of the quinoa mix into each pepper half.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for about ½ hour until the peppers are warmed through. (The pan should let out lots of steam when you remove the foil.) Let them sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. These are also lovely served cold.