Southwest Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back and have been meaning to share it. First off, don't miss out, just one day left for our Free Membership with Any Purchase promotion!!!

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.

4 Easy Ways to Change Your Life & Save the Earth

Happy Earth Day!!

What are you planning on doing to celebrate?

I've decided to ditch the refrigerator and live out of coolers! Totally Eco-friendly:-)

Just kidding, kinda. Yes, we're totally camping out in our own house, but not by choice! Our fridge broke the other day and we've been living out of borrowed coolers since then. Not fun. Not fun at all. 

Moving right along, I wanted to just share some easy ways you can make a difference this Earth day.

1. Eat less Meat: Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gases than growing plants! Every year in just the U.S., 80 percent of all agricultural land, 70 percent of all grain, half of all water resources, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food. So eat more veggies and less meat - it's better for your health anyway. Consider starting with one day a week to not eat meat. It sounds hard at first but there really are so many options. Substitute tofu for chicken in certain dishes, like I did in my Western Beggar Tofu recipe, 

leave out the meat in dishes with beans and other sources of complete proteins, such as taco or other similar dishes.  

(Taco Soup)

Or just try new recipes all together

(baked pasta with summer vegetables)

Experiment with quinoa, a complete plant protein!

(Broccoli Quinoa Casserole)

My husband and I have been completely meat free for about 3 weeks now and we feel great!

2. Walk more, drive less: Improve your health and air quality at the same time by walking to places close by. Need to drop by a friend's house or want to take the kids to the park? Walk or bike instead and get exercise while you do it! When you do have to drive, take care of your car so it runs efficiently; check your tire pressure is correct and have the engine well maintained.

3. Switch to Reusable Shopping bags: It's a super easy way to help the environment, plus you can find some super cute ones if that matters to you. Each year, trillions of plastic bags are made and discarded. They reek havoc on waterways, landscapes, and they fill landfills for about a thousand years before they finally break down!

4. Use all natural cleaners: Most American's spend about 90% of their time indoors and scientists say that pollution indoors is 2-5 times higher inside your house! Why? Some of the worst culprits are your cleaners! Toxic chemicals in your oven, toilet, and window cleaners are released into the air each time you clean!

Shaklee's Get Clean line of cleaners are all natural and completely non-toxic! They are also super concentrated to save you money. One Get Clean Starter Kit (in regular and unscented) is equivalent to $3400 of the other cleaner. 

Plus they work!

Shaklee carries an amazing dish line that gets the job done even without pre-rinsing!! 

The Scour Off can do wonders on your oven!!

You can remove water spots.

You can even clean your toaster.

Our products can do just about anything!

And because it is safe, you can even have your children help! :)

For all your disinfecting needs, we have a great disinfectant!