Looking for an easy weeknight meal that is healthy, delicious and won’t break the bank? Look no further! These stuffed peppers are inexpensive to make and pack a huge nutritional punch that will fill you up.
You may notice many of my recipes contain both lentils and quinoa. It’s true, these are two staples in my pantry, and for good reason. First, they are versatile, taking on the flavor of whatever seasoning used. The main reason though is because of the high nutritional content.
Quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning it has nine essential amino acids, making it comparable to milk in the amount of protein it contains. High in flavonoids, quinoa is considered to be an anti-inflammatory food. Believe it or not, quinoa has more fiber than most grains! Fiber helps aid in reducing blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels and increases the feeling of fullness, helping in weight loss and to top it all off, quinoa is gluten free!
Now onto the mighty lentil. I love this little round legume. So much fiber and protein! In just a ½ cup of lentils there are 9 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. They are also a good source of iron and are considered cardio protective.
To top it off, adding peppers to a meal is a great choice because they are anti-inflammatory, contain lots of vitamin C, and they contain high levels of quercetin and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that can help fight against heart disease!
These are just a few of my favorite reasons to add these delicious peppers to your weeknight rotation! Enjoy!
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 15 oz crush tomatoes, fire roasted
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped small
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 4 large bell peppers, any color
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, don't allow it to burn. Add onions and saute another 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add mushrooms, all seasonings, tomatoes, lentils, quinoa and broth. Stir to combine, bringing to a boil then reducing heat to low.
- Cover and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils have softened.
- Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp nutritional yeast.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 9x13 pan by brushing with oil.
- Slice peppers diagonally down the middle, removing all seeds and membranes. Line them on 9x13 pan with cut side up.
- Scoop in quinoa/lentil mixture in each pepper half.
- Add a small amount of water to the bottom of pan and loosely cover with foil.
- Bake stuffed peppers for 25 minutes.
- Add topping of nutritional yeast or shredded parmesan and continue baking another 10 minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze if desired and serve with a small salad. Enjoy!