Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Bell Peppers

I tend to put sugar on a lot of things. And as in "things" I mean words (did you think I meant food?!). So instead of rambling on before I get to the point, here goes:

I never had stuffed bell peppers before until today.

Conclusion: they're pretty darn great!

Quinoa and Vegetable Stuffed Bell Peppers
inspired by a recipe from Jeanette's Healthy Living
serves four

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 very small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup black beans, cooked
2 large organic red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1/2 cup water
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the quinoa in the 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan along with the sliced carrot, chopped onion, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then low heat to medium. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the tomatoes and black beans until heated through. Spoon this mixture into the halved red peppers and place on a baking sheet. Pour the 1/2 cup of water into the baking sheet; place in the oven to bake for an hour. Serve warm with salt and ground pepper on top.

They look pretty stuffed to me.

Packed with vitamin C, fiber, and protein, these peppers make a great side dish or a (very!) light entree; they're less than 150 calories! Heck, have two of them, then you'll have yourself a nice entree.

Nutrition Facts per Bell Pepper
Calories: 149
Fat: 1.8g
Carbs: 29g
Protein: 6.3g
Fiber: 6.1g
Sugar: 5.8g
Sodium: 13.7mg
Calcium: 36.6mg

Delicious. I highly recommend adding salt to the peppers. The only reason why I left it out of the ingredients list is because, well, everyones' taste buds are different. Rick added very little salt to his serving while I added more, for instance.

Anyway, this is today's reason to be thankful...
Reason #135: I'm thankful for the beach.
Rick and I enjoyed noon time out of the house and into the beach after an exciting morning of frisbee golfing. The sun was out and bright so we even took a little dip in the water to cool off our burning feet from the hot sand; it was so fun I was scared! The ocean waves were lifting me off my toes and Rick held my hand the whole time. Yep. Got to go to the beach more often too!

Basil Pesto Fusilli with Broccoli and Grape Tomatoes

Our kitchen is sad and upset with me; yesterday I overworked my Vitamix blender which caused it to spaz out and die. Well, that's what I get for trying to blend the homemade hemp milk that I accidentally left in the freezer overnight. But never fear, my little kitchen, as I am in the process of getting my Vitamix repaired!

In other news, and on a happy note, I also made this delicious pasta dish yesterday:

This fusilli dish is great! It is savory and a little spicy, ideal for a little pep in your taste buds for lunch.

Basil Pesto Fusilli with Broccoli and Grape Tomatoes
inspired by a recipe on Vegan Richa
serves about three

1 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat fusilli
1 teaspoon coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 very small green chili, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of water
6 grape tomatoes, sliced

For the pesto:
3/4 cup packed basil
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used coconut oil!)
2 tablespoons raw cashews
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
a few tablespoons of water, if needed

1. Cook the fusilli in a large saucepan. Drain, and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized pan,  heat up the oil on medium-high heat. Toss in the chopped garlic and chili and cook for about a minute, making sure not to burn. Add in the chopped broccoli florets, salt, and the 1/4 cup of water. Stir before covering; cook on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. While the broccoli mixture is cooling, prepare the pesto by blending the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the broccoli mixture and sliced tomatoes. Finally, add the broccoli pesto mixture to the drained fusilli pasta. Mix together until evenly distributed and slightly heat up the mixture again before serving, if necessary.
4. Serve fresh and warm with a cup of camomile tea on the side. Also tastes great when cooled!

The dish was so tasty I almost ate it all and left none for Rick. Luckily for him, I saved him just enough leftovers! If you want to make this dish gluten-free then use gluten-free pasta instead. The nutrition facts below represent the use of whole wheat fusilli.

Nutrition Facts per Serving
Calories: 298
Fat: 9.3g
Carbs: 48.5g
Protein: 10.9g
Fiber: 6.7g
Sugar: 2.8g
Sodium: 217mg
Calcium: 71mg

Don't forget your pepper shaker for extra spice.
Below are my latest reasons to be thankful.
Reason #127: I'm thankful for Teavana.
Since I worked on Mother's Day, I decided to take my mom out to lunch early. She and I went to Teavana and enjoyed a fresh cup of tea and it was great! I got her hooked; now she loves the little shop and wants to go again next time. There really is nothing like the gift of good health.

Reason #128: I'm thankful for deep breaths.
Thanks to my yoga practices, remembering to breathe deeply during the day keeps my mood and all-over health in check. Try it right now; you'll feel a hundred times better than before.

Reason #129: I'm thankful for frisbee golfing.
Also called disc golf, this simple but challenging activity has recently gotten on my and Rick's weekly to-do list thanks to our friend and co-worker (who is a beast at the game). I have to improve on my throwing skills but, since I play to have fun, a good time is my top priority!

Reason #130: I'm thankful for donating.
I'm kind of an addict when it comes to donating unwanted items. Not only is donating a good deed but it also leave the house looking clean and uncluttered!

Reason #131: I'm thankful for Barnes and Noble.
Rick and I really like going to bookstores to just browse around. Both of us love to read and we can spend maybe more than an hour in Barnes and Noble just snooping around! On our last visit, we purchased three books, two of which were yoga-based and another which was about veganism. All of them are awesome reads.

Reason#132: I'm thankful for my mom.
I love you, mum!!!

Reason #133: I'm thankful for fast workouts.
A little effort is better than none at all.

Reason #134: I'm thankful for hope.
Sometimes when all else fails, hope gets us by.

Before I go, I just want to say yet again that I'm sorry for my absences as I have been working my little vegan butt off at work! The only food I have had time for is take-out, produce, and Larabars. I have the next couple of days off so I should get some more posts in for you guys. You are all so patient! *hugs*
Take care.