Get Stuffed!

When I was a kid, I loved my mom's stuffed bell peppers. She'd quarter a pepper, boil it, and top each quarter with a rice/beef/cheese combo. When I went vegetarian at age 14, she started making mine with rice and cheese only. It's been years since I've eaten that, and I don't even know if my mom makes that dish anymore. But I decided to re-create a vegan version for my cookbook — "Beefy" Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers:

I steamed the peppers, stuffed 'em with a mixture of quinoa, TVP, and tomatoes, and then roasted the whole thing in the oven for awhile. Dare I say it, but I think they're as good as my mom's were ... just a little different. I tried some without vegan cheeze (like the one above) and some with mozzarella Teese. In my recipe, cheeze will be optional. These were also tasty with a sprinkle of nooch.

On the side, I tried Happy Herbivore's African Kale & Yams Mash from Pudge-Free Holidays:

I've been eyeing this recipe since I bought Lindsay's e-cookbook last holiday season. It's a spicy mashed yam (mine were actually sweet potatoes because I've never even seen a real yam down here) mixed with pureed, seasoned kale. Topped with hot sauce, this was a delectable (and super-healthy) side dish.

By the way, the awesome Jessy of Happy Vegan Face found the recipe online for the Live Un-Stirfry with Cauliflower Rice recipe that I posted about on Tuesday. Here's the link, but ya'll still outta buy 30 Minute Vegan because it's amazing! Also, check out Chocolate Covered Katie's charity page drive — Operation Chocolate-Covered Kindness. When you view her page, she'll receive money from FoodBuzz, and she's sending all the money to The Enough Project (a group working to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity).