We did it! We've reached the end of January eating healthy, whole foods! Our final recipe for the month is these Southwest style stuffed pepper! This is such a satisfying dish that is delicious for dinner and makes great leftovers for lunch! Easy to pack and reheat, these peppers are bursting with flavor!

Bell peppers, loaded with Vitamin C (more than an orange!) are the base of this dish. While they're a summer vegetable, they're imported from hydroponic farms in Holland (and some here in the U.S.). But the extra Vitamin C is perfect right now when cold and flu are at their peak!

Quinoa, long touted as a "super food" is also super simple to make! Ready in 10 minutes, this grain is unique because of its perfect balance of protein, carb and fat, in every kernel! It's what we use to create our stuffing.

Add in some fresh salsa (kitchen hack!) along with black beans, corn and spices and you have a super flavorful filling! Not to mention, you can grab any leftovers as a side salad too!

Once the peppers are baked I like to top them with shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado! But I encourage you to create your own Southwest inspired toppings!

Buon Appetito!

Southwest Style Stuffed Peppers
Serves 6

3 bell peppers, any color, halved and seeded
3 C. cooked quinoa
1 C. salsa
1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. frozen corn kernels
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
salt (to taste)

Optional for serving:
shredded cheese
sour cream
avocado
salsa
cilantro

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray a baking dish with olive oil. Place pepper halves in the dish, and spray the peppers with olive oil as well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, salsa, black beans, corn, cumin and chili powder. Mix well and taste. Add salt as needed and mix again.

Stuff each pepper to the edge with quinoa stuffing. Cover any remaining stuffing and refrigerate.

Cover the peppers with foil and bake for 30 minutes*. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot with desired toppings.

*If you're doing meal prep, you can let the peppers cool and store them in the refrigerator at this point. Remove desired amount of peppers and reheat in the oven or microwave as needed.