Wondering how to get the tastes and colors of the seasons in a meal you basically just have to defrost? And a meal with no moral guilt besides the plastic use guilt that plagues us all? Well here it is – Vegan Stuffed Peppers!
This is a dump-style recipe and pretty much all the ingredients, except the pepper vessels, are long lasting frozen goods, dry goods, or condiments. Its perfect for those of us that never really know if they are going home after work to have a conversation with their dog, OR gonna go out and be that tapas eating, selfie obsessed Millennial that our dad’s are always lecturing us about (PS. We do not do selfies here). Either version of you can make these stuffed peppers! Best part you basically don’t have to worry about food waste with this one! As a vegetarian who hates food planning farther out than 3 days, I always keep a few bags of frozen veggies and meat-replacement items in the freezer just in case. My recipe shopping list below is a great starter list of freezer basics to always have on hand.
Shopping List:
- 2 Yellow, Orange, or Red Peppers
- Quinoa – Any Type/Color
- 1 Bag Frozen:
- Corn
- Peas
- Edamame
- Spinach
- Veggie Ground Crumbles (I use the Boca brand but any will do)
- Optional: 1-2 avocados, lime, salsa, or other toppings.
Stuffed Pepper Recipe:
- 1/4 cup each of the:
- uncooked quinoa
- corn
- peas
- edamame
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup – frozen spinach (double if using fresh)
- 1/2 cup – veggie ground crumbles
- 1/2 teaspoon – Cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon – Salt
- 1 pinch – Pepper
- (Optional) Juice from half a lime or lemon
Preheat oven to 375*F. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove any seeds hanging out. Place peppers in a small cooking pan or casserole dish. You can cut up any pepper you removed to add back into the stuffing. Place all frozen ingredients in a bowl. Grease a saute pan with olive oil and add in your frozen ingredients. Now cook stuffing ingredients until defrosted and warm to the touch. Empty the pan back into your bowl. Add seasonings, pepper pieces and optional citrus to mixture. Stir and begin spooning ingredients into the peppers. Once peppers are stuffed to the brim, place in a baking dish upright. Cook on the center rack of the oven for approximately 25 minutes. Once done, let cool for 5 minutes then top with anything you like depending on your eating limitations: avocado, salsa, queso, sour cream, fresh pineapple, or mangoes. Enjoy!
