INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Tofu, extra firm, crumbled
1 tb Lemon juice
¾ tsp Paprika
½ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Black pepper
¼ tsp Coriander powder
1/8 tsp Chili powder
1 tb Thyme, fresh, chopped
½ tsp + ½ tsp Olive oil
1/4 cup White onion, small dice
1 clove Garlic, minced
¼ cup Quinoa grain, red
¼ cup Quinoa grain, white
1 cup Vegetable stock
2 tsp Vinegar, white wine
¼ tsp Salt, sea
½ cup Corn kernels, fresh cut off the cob
¾ cup Zucchini, small dice
¼ cup Scallion, chopped
¼ cup Parsley, fresh, chopped
1/8 cup Basil, fresh, chopped
2 each Pepper, yellow bell, large, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 each Pepper, red bell, large, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 each Plum tomato, small, sliced into thin rounds
8 tsp Feta cheese, low fat, crumbled*
As needed Cooking spray
PREPARATION:
In a small bowl, mix crumbled tofu with lemon juice, paprika, cumin, black pepper, coriander, chili powder and thyme; refrigerate for several hours so flavors meld.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In small pot, heat vegetable stock. In a medium pot, sauté onion and garlic in ½ teaspoon olive oil until onion is softened. Add red and white quinoa and stir to coat grains. Add the hot vegetable stock and bring to a boil; reduce to simmer, cover and cook until stock is absorbed by quinoa, about 15 minutes. Place quinoa into large mixing bowl; toss with white wine vinegar and salt.
In a sauté pan with ½ teaspoon oil sauté zucchini and scallion about a minute; add basil and parley and sauté about 1 minute more; remove from heat. Add the sautéed vegetables to the quinoa, along with the seasoned tofu, corn kernels, parsley and basil. Toss well to mix ingredients.
Stuff each pepper half with 1/8 of the stuffing mixture; top with a couple of tomato slices plus 1 teaspoon of feta cheese, then place on a sprayed baking sheet. Cook in oven until pepper is roasted and cheese is melted, about 9-12 minutes.
Plating: Serve each person 1 red and 1 yellow stuffed pepper half on a small bed of baby arugula greens.
(*omit Feta Cheese if cooking Vegan)
YIELD: 4 servings
