Meatless Monday: Tofu & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (Vegan and Gluten Free!)

I love stuffed peppers. I've never used a recipe; I always just sort of wing it and hope for the best. I'm glad I took the time to document this particular incarnation, because it was delicious! This recipe will stuff approximately 4 bell peppers and can be made in the crock pot or in the oven. It is gluten-free, vegan, and overflowing with protein and fiber.

What You'll Need:

• 4 Bell Peppers, tops removed by cutting around the stem, seeds and membranes removed (gently! don't break/split the pepper!)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 package extra firm tofu (I used baked pre-marinated  tofu, but you can marinate your own if you're fancy)
• 1/2 Medium (or 1 small) zucchini, shredded and drained
• small bunch of broccoli, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/2 onion, shredded
• Tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg's liquid aminos to taste (note: not all soy sauce is gluten-free, but tamari and Bragg's are!)
• Oil for cooking (I used coconut with a splash of toasted sesame seed oil)
• Pretend the egg and bread crumbs aren't in the picture. I didn't end up using them. :p

What You'll Do:

• While cooking the Quinoa, prep all the veggies and mash the tofu with a fork.
• Heat about 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
• Stir-fry the mashed tofu for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the veggies and continue to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes, until veggies begin to soften.
• Stir in the quinoa and tamari (or soy sauce or Bragg's) to taste. Don't overdo it. Food that's too salty sucks.
• Remove from heat and spoon the mixture into the prepared bell peppers, gently pressing down with the spoon to firmly "stuff". (Note, if you end up with extra filling, you can either cook it a little longer on the stove and eat it as is, or you could try baking up little patties or balls of it!)
• Arrange the peppers, with caps replaced, upright in a crock pot or baking dish with 1/2 cup of water in the bottom.
• Cook for 3-4 hours in crock pot on low, or 1 hour in an oven preheated to 350 degrees, until peppers are tender.
• Allow to cool slightly before serving.
• To serve, either serve whole or cut in halves or quarters. My favorite way to do stuffed peppers is to do 4 different color peppers (green, red, yellow, and orange) and serve a quarter of each pepper per person. These green bells were super cheap at the farmer's market, so no pepper rainbow this time around!

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