My Kind of Comfort Food

My kind of comfort foods are generally vegetarian. I attribute this not to my upbringing (umm, hello! tons of meat consumed as a child) but rather to my stint as a vegetarian. I made the decision to go veggie when I was 24 {I basically didn't want to eat anything that I couldn't emotional kill} and consequently, when I taught myself to cook I learned vegetarian recipes vs. meaty recipes. This is one of my favorite recipes--it's easy, delicious and not-so-bad for you. The best part is that you don't even miss the "normal" ground beef.  The feta cheese adds a burst of salty goodness that just screams to be eaten & the chickpeas are a healthy source of protein.

Without further adieu, let me introduce you to my friend the Stuffed Pepper. 

Adapted from Martha's Greek Stuffed Peppers

What you need:

- 4 peppers (I like a get a assortment of colors, red, orange, yellow and green)
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1/2 c feta cheese
- 1c cooked couscous or quinoa
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- mushrooms diced (I go with a handful)
-1/2 of a zucchini diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- oregano, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
- 9"x13" pan
- aluminum foil
- 1/2c water

What you do:

Preheat over to 350F

Prepare quinoa or couscous to package direction (add some oil or butter for extra flavor!)

Cut peppers length-wise and scoop out seeds (make sure to remove any extra pepper inside)

Chop up scallions, zucchini, garlic, mushrooms and put into a medium bowl

Add feta cheese, chickpeas and seasonings to veggie bowl--taste to make sure your seasonings are just right

Stuff peppers. Put stuffed peppers into your pan, add a 1/2c of water to the bottom of the pan and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Let cool for 5 minutes and ENJOY!!!

XO