Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers Turned Sideways
There are a million recipes for stuffed pepper variation and this recipe is actually a mixture of Hungry Girl and Rachael Ray recipes. In my version of stuffed peppers, the peppers are cut sideways and roasted prior to filling them to ensure that they are tender and delicious. Once tender, the peppers are filled to the brim with roasted veggies and quinoa and baked to golden perfection.

Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Peppers
Gluten Free
Serves Two

Ingredients--
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup eggplant, diced
2 tsp. + 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. quinoa
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 halves sundried tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. gluten free bread crumbs
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and & spritz with nonstick spray. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise (so they form a boat shape). Scrape out stem and seeds. Use a paring knife to cut an "X" in the bottom of each pepper half.

2. Place peppers cut side up on one end of baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray and season with salt and pepper.

3. Place zucchini and eggplant on other side of baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray and drizzle with 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix zucchini and eggplant until thoroughly coated.

4. Bake in the oven until veggies are tender, 20-22 minutes. After 10 minutes,  stir eggplant/zucchini and flip peppers. Once vegetables are tender, set aside to cool.

5. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a small saucepan. Stir in chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until broth is absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked, 12-15 minutes.

6. While quinoa and vegetables are cooking, place sundried tomatoes in a small microwave safe dish and cover with water. Microwave until tomatoes are tender, about 1 minute. Let cool, chop into small pieces, and set aside.

7. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Stir in roasted vegetables, sundried tomatoes, basil, and garlic powder. Season with salt & pepper.

8. Evenly distribue quinoa/vegetable mixture between pepper halves. Sprinkle tops evenly with parmesan and bread crumbs.

9. Bake peppers until filling is heated through and tops are browned, 22-25 minutes.

Nutrition Information--approximately 140 calories per serving (2 pepper halves)