Welcome to My Pumpkin Patch (like MTV Cribs but better!)
Happy October Everyone! I love fall for so many reasons and one big reason is the food! There are lots of warm and yummy soups and sweet treats this time of year. While I love to try all different versions of these, I try to make my own healthy versions too. On today’s post, I want to share my stuffed peppers aka Pumpkins in a Patch. I make this vegetarian, but you could easily add ground turkey or beef to the filling for a protein packed meal. Here’s what you need:
4 Orange Peppers
2 Medium Zucchinis
2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 Yellow Onion
2 cups Quinoa (cooked)
1 can Chickpeas or Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
Spices and Seasonings you like
First preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then cut the tops off the peppers and take out the seeds. I like to save the tops of the peppers to add at the end as a fun little decoration. Chop all veggies into small pieces and saute in a pan until soft. Remember to season to your liking (my go to’s are - salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin). Once veggies are soft, mix quinoa and chickpeas in. Scoop enough of the mixture to fill each pepper to the top.
Place peppers in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until peppers begin to soften a bit. Once you carefully take them out of the oven and they have cooled, cut little eyes and a mouth for a cute pumpkin face! I add the top of the pepper back on to give it even more of a pumpkin look! I love serving this with a kale salad to complete my pumpkin patch :)
This recipe is not only festive but packed with tons of nutrients from so many types of veggies! Adding in the chickpeas and quinoa gives this meal some extra protein too. I hope you enjoy your peppers and as always, if you decide to make it, tag me on Instagram for a shout out!