Eat Some, Freeze Some

Stuffed peppers are the perfect meal to "eat some, freeze some."

Wow, I can not believe it is already March! Where does the time go?

I know you are busy. So am I. One thing I like to do to try to have homemade meals ready to go is to "eat some, freeze some." I often make more of a recipe to have extras to freeze for a later meal. Try my recipe for stuffed peppers this week!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. It is an easy replacement for rice in recipes. Pittsburghers, you can find quinoa at Giant Eagle these days which is awesome! Note: get creative! I have used kale instead of spinach, kidney beans instead of black beans, etc.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 Tbs. ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated
1 1/2 cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided
4 large bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

So, what meals do you like to "eat some, freeze some"? I would love to hear from you. Post a comment below or on .