Tag: Peppers

Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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It seems too early to be transitioning from fall to winter, but it’s kind of already happening. Why the heck is it so cold? And why is the sun rising at like nine and setting at like six? These are questions we have yet to answer, my friends. But in the meantime, we might as well embrace the freezing darkness that is winter and enjoy these stuffed peppers.

Stuffed peppers are an amazing comfort food🥰 They’re hearty and delicious, perfect for a cold winter night. These ones also happen to be super healthy, as well as vegan and gluten free. I used lentils and quinoa for the meat substitute, and it makes a filling that is INCREDIBLE. My advice is to double or triple the recipe so you can have tasty peppers for lunch all week long.

Also, if you don’t feel like cooking for hours or washing a TON of dishes, these are for you! I used canned lentils and already cooked quinoa for increased simplicity. You just need to fry up some onions and basically mix everything tightest in the pot. Then stuff your peppers, pop em in the oven, and let them get nice and soft on the outside, warm on the inside, and crispy on top😍 (Those crispy bits are the best part). You’re left with a meal that is so flavourful and filling that you’ll be like, take that, stupid winter. So yeah, the season might not be too bad if you’ve got these hanging around!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!:)

Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Serves: 2

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 large bell peppers, any colour
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can of tomato paste (6 oz)
  • 1 cup cooked lentils (I used the brown canned variety)
  • 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 cup packed spinach
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the diced onions and cook for 6-8 minutes, until translucent.
  2. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then dump in the tomato paste, lentils, quinoa, balsamic, soy sauce, herbs and spices, and stir to combine.
  3. Let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes, then add in the spinach and continue to cook until it’s wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from the heat.
  4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut out the tops of your peppers so that a round hole is left. Full each pepper with half of the lentil and quinoa filling, then place in a glass baking dish.
  5. Bake the peppers for about 15 minutes in the oven; then reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the top of the filling is crispy.
  6. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Hope you guys are having a great week! I have another great pumpkin recipe for you guys on Friday. We’ve got to milk this pumpkin and apple stuff before fall is over, am I right? See you then!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Thai Ribbon Salad

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Hey there! Today I have a quick and easy recipe for you guys that you can just throw together and top with whichever protein you’d like! This Thai Ribbon Salad looks super fancy, but all you need is a veggie peeler and some veggies and you can whip it up in a snap!

In this salad I used zucchini, which is one of my favourite summer vegetables, along with cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers. Top it all of with some spinach, crispy quinoa, sunflower seeds and a protein of your choice (salmon goes amazing in this salad), and you’ve got a perfect summer salad!

Did I not mention the dressing yet? Because it’s AWESOME. I used the peanut dressing from my Asian Kale and Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing. I had to put the dressing in the name because THAT’S HOW GOOD IT IS. I’ll link to the recipe in the ingredients down below. In the meantime, lets get to the salad!

Thai Ribbon Salad

Serves: 2

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 carrot
  • 1/2 a cucumber
  • 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp quinoa (optional)
  • 1 batch of Peanut Dressing
  • Protein of your choice (optional)

Directions:

  1. Using a veggie peeler or mandolin, slice the zucchini, cucumber, and carrots into thin strips. Start by dragging the peeler down the outside of one side of the veggies so that you don’t get a piece of all skin in your salad. Then continue to drag the peeler down lengthwise to create thin pieces. Once you’ve reached the middle of the vegetable, you can turn it around and repeat on the other side. It might be hard to get all the way through the middle of the veggies, so you can save that part for a lil snack later;)
  2. Toss the veg with the peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds, quinoa, and dressing. Top with a protein of your choice (or leave as is) and enjoy!

Hope you like this simple summer salad!

Yours Truly,

Olivia

Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad

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How’s it going guys? It’s starting to feel like summer vacation because the weather is finally warming up! I’m starting to establish some rhythm and being more productive, so that’s a plus. These posts are keeping me busy and thinking!

Sooooo I heard that lots of people don’t like salads. What’s up with that? I don’t know what kind of salads that they’re eating, but in my world, salads have hot veggies, cold veggies, protein, mashed avocado, and SICK dressings. Making salads is actually so much fun because you can play around with flavour combos and pretty much add whatever you want. Today I’m sharing the recipe for this Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad. And before you ask, yes, it is VERY loaded. You’ve got sauteed peppers and golden brown butternut squash, corn, carrots, cucs, spinach, avo, hemp hearts, and an awesome maple balsamic dressing. Is it even physically possible not to like that combo? I think not. Go check out the recipe!

Loaded Maple Balsamic Salad

Serves: 1 very hungry person

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

  • A handful of baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Half a bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup cooked corn (I used frozen)
  • 3/4 cup frozen butternut squash chunks (If you don’t have these you can use roasted squash or sweet potato, and skip the steps related to the frozen squash)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 of a large cucumber, diced
  • 1/2 a large carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 an avocado, mashed
  • A sprinkle of hemp hearts

For the Maple Balsamic Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, and add in the peppers to saute.
  3. While the peppers are cooking, bring some water to boil in a small pot and add in the frozen butternut squash chunks. Cook them for about 2 minutes, then drain and add them to the pan with the peppers.
  4. Cook the squash and the peppers until they’re soft and have some browning going on on the outside, about 6 minutes. Then remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
  5. In a large bowl, arrange the spinach, peppers and squash, carrots, cucumber, and corn. Place the mashed avocado in the centre, and top with the hemp hearts and maple balsamic dressing.
  6. Enjoy!!

I hope this salad changes your mind about salads. It’s the salad to end all salad discrimination!

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Beet and Parsley Salad

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Hi there! I wanted to start by letting you know that this is my 200th post!! Crazy how time flies! I’ve loved every minute of working on this site, and I want to thank you guys for all of your support. Your likes and comments mean so much! To celebrate, I’ll be posting my top ten favourite recipes sometime this weekend, so be sure to check that out;)

Today I have a very colourful and fresh recipe to share- Beet and Parsley Salad! Other than roasting the beets, this recipes calls for very little prep and is a perfect lunch or side dish. I even used pre -roasted beets to cut down on prep time. Fresh herbs are great to work with and bring so much flavour. Paired with the earthy beets they really get a chance to sing! This salad is even better when it sits overnight in the fridge because it allows it to marinate in the dressing (which is a delicious combo of fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil), but feel free to enjoy it right after you whip it up. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you.

Beet and Parsley Salad

Serves: 4

Total Time: 10 minutes (using pre-roasted beets), 30 minutes (roasting the beets included)

Ingredients:

  • 1 beet
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/4 of a red onion, diced
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
  • 3/4 cup packed parsley leaves (I used the flat-leafed Italian variety, but the curly leafed kind would work too)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. If roasting the beet, peel it and dice it into small cubes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, toss the beets in some olive oil on a parchment lined baking sheet, and roast for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before tossing with the salad.
  2. If you’re using a pre-roasted beet, make sure that it’s diced into small cubes. Toss the beet chunks in a bowl with the tomato, parsley, onion, bell pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

**optional: let the salad sit in the fridge overnight in the fridge to marinate in the dressing**

Thank you so much for reading! Stay safe and I’ll see you again this weekend with my top ten favourite recipes;))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Curried Sweet Potato Pita Pockets

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Hi guys! Today I have an AWESOME recipe for you guys; these Curried Potato Pita Pockets are one of my favourite recipes ever! They’re super quick and easy to make, plus they pack in SO much flavour and freshness. Sweet potatoes are life my friends, so they had to be included in this recipe too. I was inspired by a veggie samosa wrap by VeganRicha, but I changed and simplified the recipe and it turned out great! The sweet potatoes are roasted with some red bell peppers in cumin and curry powder, then mashed a bit and paired with a fresh cilantro-y bean salad in a warm pita. Basically, my dreams in a pocket of bread. These pitas make great leftovers to, and will definitely be one of my go-to lunch recipes when I’m back at school. Enjoy the recipe;)

Curried Sweet Potato Pita Pockets

Serves: 3

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato or yam
  • 1/2 a red bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp +1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (chickpeas or black beans can be used in a pinch)
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 of a red onion, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 3 whole wheat pitas
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (after 200 posts I finally managed to spell Fahrenheit right the first time!)
  2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into very small cubes, a little less than a centimetre in size. Chop the bell pepper into the same sized cubes and place the veggies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Toss the veggies in the olive oil, curry powder, 1 tsp of cumin and some salt and pepper. Place the pan into the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes and peppers are soft.
  4. Meanwhile, toss the red kidney beans, tomato, red onion, cilantro, 1/2 tsp of cumin and lemon juice together in a bowl and set aside.
  5. Once the veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Use a fork to mash the mixture, leaving some sweet potato chunks whole.
  6. Warm up the pitas in the microwave and cut or rip them in half. Open up each half so that it forms a pocket, and scoop equal amounts of the roasted veggies and bean salad into them.
  7. Enjoy!

Hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do! Thank you for reading and I’ll see you on Friday;))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;)