Sunday, April 29, 2012

Southwest Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and have been meaning to share it. 

Back to the food :-)

I found this recipe while looking for vegetarian options. My husband decided he wanted to eliminate all meat for a month to see if 1) it was something he could do and enjoy and 2) to see what health benefits it had. 

I don't know about him, but I have lost 5 pounds just by making that simple change. I feel more energetic and don't feel weighed down after a meal! I think we've decided we're going to allow meat back into our diet, but in very limited amounts, probably about once a week.  

This recipe was really yummy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a sauce pan combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.


Meanwhile, slice off the tops of the bell peppers and empty the inside. Put 1 tablespoon of cheese at the bottom of each.

Sauté the garlic, and jalapeno for 3-4 minutes in the pan. Add black beans, corn and tomatoes and sauté for about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.


Pour the quinoa into the pan and toss to combine. Add the cilantro, chipotle powder, cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Thoroughly mix in the seasonings.

Stuff the bell peppers with the quinoa mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes.


Add the cheese to the tops of the peppers and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.


Here is the original recipe, although I skipped the ground turkey since the quinoa, beans, and corn already provide a great source of protein. 


Southwest Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper (source)
Ingredients
  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water or chicken broth
  • 1 lb. ground turkey (I skipped this)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained,
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 medium jalapeño
  • 3/4 cup corn
  • 3/4 cup pepper jack cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp of chipotle powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp of garlic powder (optional for those who love garlic!)
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Salt
  • Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups liquid (water or chicken brothe) in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, slice off the tops of the bell peppers. Pull out the core along with any excess white ribs or seeds. Put 1 tablespoon of cheese at the bottom of each.
Cook the turkey meat in a large pan. Drain the excess fat and liquids and transfer to a plate.
Sauté the onion (reserving some for garnish), garlic, and jalapeño for 3-4 minutes in the pan. Add black beans, corn and tomatoes and sauté for about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour the quinoa and turkey into the pan and toss to combine. Add the cilantro, chipotle powder, cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, and oregano. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Thoroughly mix in the seasonings.
Stuff the bell peppers with as much quinoa mixture as you can fit inside. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Add the cheese to the tops of the peppers and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Redneck Repair #2

During my spring cleaning and organizing overhaul, I got really bothered by this sight...


You may remember last year I redneck repaired a similar situation happening at our bedroom desk. Well this time around I didn't have any toilet paper tubes saved and so I went a different direction but ended with the same result.

I took zip ties (from the dollar store) and stapled them to the backside of the desk with my staple gun.

Then I zipped the power strip in the ties.
I used smaller zip ties to gather the wires together behind the desk.
And this is what it looks like now. I love how much cleaner it looks. Plus it's out of the way so my little ones won't be tempted to play with it.


Oh and did I mention the littlest is starting to be mobile? Ahh, I'm so not ready for that! He's not even 6 months yet!


Don't forget about April's special, FREE membership with ANY purchase!


Monday, April 2, 2012

Give New Life to Your Dirty Pots with Scour Off


Today I wanted to share some of my progress with spring cleaning. I have done a lot of the usual cleaning; dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc. Well when I was washing dishes the other day I noticed how horrible the outside of my pots have gotten. I don’t really know what all this is from, just burnt on stuff I guess, but I couldn’t get it off with just a scrubber and dish soap, so I pulled out the Scour Off.
DSC06799
Here are my pots before:
DSC06732
DSC06800DSC06801
And here they are after:
DSC06738
DSC06802DSC06804
It was so easy to get off with the Scour Off, just used the green scrubby sponge and it was off in no time!
Where else can you use Scour Off in your house?
I love it as an over cleaner!! Did you know commercial chemical oven cleaners are one of the most toxic products people use? They contain lye and ammonia, which eat the skin, and the fumes linger and affect the respiratory system. Not with Scour Off!
b&a ovenb&a stove
I’ve used it to clean hard water spots, soap scum, and grim off the tub and shower…
Tub stop scour off
scour off shower hard water spots
And it’s great in the kitchen to clean and shine the sink and other stainless steel appliances!!
scour off sinkscour off toaster
It really is a fabulous multipurpose heavy duty cleaner and such a pleasant alternative to those harmful chemical cleaners!
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