Quinoa Stuffed Veggies

Stuffed baked peppers and tomatoes are a traditional Greek recipe. The original stuffing is rice, but a vegan version of if would be much better with something more high in protein, like quinoa, which is a pseudo-grain (plant that looks like a grain). You can find quinoa at health food stores, it looks kind of like couscous. So here is the recipe and cooking instructions:

You need :

3 bell peppers

3 big tomatoes

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 big onion FINELY chopped

3 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste

1 vegetable stock cube

2 cups water

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

3 medium size potatoes peeled and cubed(optional)

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 tsp tabasco

1 tsp salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

Olive oil (its better if you have an olive oil spray so that you use less fat, because this recipe needs oil to keep everything moist, but if you dont have one on hand, to control the use of fat a brush dipped in olive oil does the work if used carefully)

First start by cutting off the top of the tomato and keep the pieces aside. Cut all around the tomato so that its easier to scoop out the pulp. With a spoon start removing all the inside of the tomato. Keep in a bowl the pulp of all three tomatoes. Cut the top of the peppers as well and remove all the seeds.

Now in a hob place onions and garlic to saute for a bit, then add 2/3 of tomato pulp(keep some aside to pour over everything), tomato paste,water with vegetable stock, salt and quinoa. Bring to boil and cook for 18 min. Remove from heat and add lemon, chopped parsley, pine nuts and tabasco. Stir. Preheat oven at 180c.

Now you can start stuffing your veggies.! Stuff only 2/3 because when you bake them the stuffing will expand a bit. Place the top you cut off in he beginning back on (like a little hat!!). Once you fill all the veggies put them in an oiled baking dish and spray or brush all around the surface of the tomatoes and peppers. Now if you are using potatoes as well, fill up the empty space of your baking dish and brush them with oil as well. For a nice crispy touch, with a knife score the top of each potato bite with many lines. Pour over everything the tomato pulp you kept aside. Bake for 40 minutes.