smoky stuffed peppers

Hey, guess what?

I bought peppers.

And then I stuffed them.

And then we ate them.

And now you get the recipe.

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Smoky Stuffed Peppers 

vegan option, gluten-free // fills 4 peppers

• 1/2 cup dry millet
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 4 bell peppers, halved + de-seeded
• 3 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 cup leek, rinsed well + chopped [or yellow onion]
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated [plus extra to top]
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2.5 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1.5 teaspoons oregano
• 1/4 – 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne [opt]

1. Place a pot over medium heat with 1/2 Tbsp oil.
2. Rinse the millet [with a fine mesh strainer] and then pour into the heated pot and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over med-high heat, then reduce heat to simmer + cover for 18-20min, until the liquid is absorbed.  Do not stir while cooking.
4. Take off the heat, still covered, and let sit for 5-10min then fluff with a fork.
5. In a large skillet add 1 Tbsp oil and heat over medium/med-low. 
6. Add the leek [or onion] once hot and cook for about 6-8min until just starting to brown.
7. Add in the minced garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne [add more salt depending on the sodium content of your veggie broth] and stir for 30sec – 1min until fragrant.
8. Add in the broccoli + chickpeas, set to medium heat, and cook for about 7-10 minutes.  Stir occasionally until the broccoli is just tender.
9. Add in the cooked millet [should be 2 cups cooked] with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, stir to combine, and let cook over medium-low for 5min.  Taste and add more salt/pepper if desired.
10. Set your oven to broil and very lightly brush the peppers with oil.
11. Place face down on a baking sheet and broil on the top rack for about 2-3min on each side, until just starting to soften. 
12. Stir the 1 cup of cheese into the broccoli mixture, then scoop into each pepper half and top with a sprinkle of cheese on each.
13. Broil for 2-3min until bubbly and golden brown on top, remove from the oven, and serve.  Top with mashed + salted avocado if desired.

notes:  Can easily be made vegan without the cheese.  Quinoa can be used instead of millet.  Adjust the cooking time to 15-17min.  Smoked paprika is much different than plain paprika and is crucial to the flavor in this dish.  My veggie broth has no sodium, so I used close to 1 tsp salt in total.

See you tomorrow on east coast time!

Ashley

potato tomato leek soup

I no longer fear soup making.

I once did, but now I don’t.

I’ve actually grown to love it.

Vegetables.  Broth.  Spices. 

Sauté.  Simmer.  Slurp.

Leeks have been on sale for the past few weeks, which means I’ve been putting them in everything.  I really prefer them to onions but don’t buy them too often because they tend to be pricey.  The flavor is much more mellow than an onion, and I think they are the perfect addition to any vegetable soup.

I wanted this soup to be full of texture, packed with fresh herbs, in a nice and light tomato broth.

I’ve consumed the entire batch of this soup by myself, topping it differently with each serving.

• pepitas + fresh thyme
• ricotta cheese
• goat’s milk mozzarella <- favorite!!
• 2 sunny side up eggs <- sounds strange but it was delicious

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Potato Tomato Leek Soup

vegan, gluten-free // serves 4-6

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups leeks, chopped
• 28oz can, whole peeled tomatoes, chopped (reserve the juice for the broth – I used canned plum tomatoes)
• 2.5 cups red potatoes, 1/2” cubes
• 4 cups kale, finely chopped
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2.5 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons safflower oil
• 0-1 teaspoon salt*
• black pepper

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium.
2. Add the chopped leeks and sauté for 4-7min, stirring frequently, until light golden brown.
3. Add in the garlic, salt, thyme, and black pepper, stirring for 1 minute. *I use no-sodium vegetable bullion cubes to make broth, so I added 1t salt total to the soup.  If your broth has low sodium or the full amount of sodium, taste + add salt towards the end of cooking if needed.
4. Add in the basil, chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, and broth.  Stir and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmer for 20min, uncovered.
6. Stir in the potato, kale, and garbanzo beans. 
7. Cover + simmer for about 15min until the potatoes are tender.
8. Taste and add more salt/pepper if desired.

Just the soup to get you through what’s left of winter.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ashley