Recipe Vortex

6 large bell peppers (any color), top cut off and seeds removed

1 tablespoon olive oil or ¼ cup water

1 medium onion, diced

3 – 4 cloves garlic, mined

2 (8oz) packages tempeh, crumbled

1 cup zucchini, diced

1 cup yellow squash, diced

8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

generous pinch red pepper flakes

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

1 can (14oz.) tomato sauce

1 cup cooked rice

mineral salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute: In a large skillet, heat oil/water over medium heat, add onion, garlic and crumbled tempeh, saute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper, and tomato sauce, cook for 2 minutes or so. Add rice and mix to combine. Remove from heat.

Stuff bell peppers: Fill each bell pepper with vegetable mixture, making sure to pack it well. These are hefty stuffed bell peppers. Cover with lid or tin foil.

Bake: Add optional cheese on top, cover the baking dish with lid or tin foil, and bake on the center rack for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove cover, top with optional grated cheese and bake for another 5 – 10 more minutes. Cooking times vary, adjust to suit your needs.

Once done, let cool a few minutes and serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.

Serves 6, 1 bell pepper per person.

Store: Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. To keep longer store vegan stuffed peppers in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, simply let peppers cool completely and store them in freezer safe containers. Let thaw before reheating.

Notes

Add in a handful of fresh baby spinach with the vegetables for variation.

Use your grain of choice. For gluten free, stick with rice or quinoa. For low-carb option, use cauliflower rice.

If you don’t care to use 2 packages of tempeh, add in 1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed) with the vegetables.

To Reheat: Reheat in the oven or microwave. For the oven, place the peppers in a baking dish and warm at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. To warm in microwave, first slice the peppers into quarters lengthwise to ensure that they warm evenly, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, checking after every 30 seconds until warmed through.