Goji & Mint Pilaf Stuffed Bell Peppers

 

What a good looking famjam!

This recipe is a colourful and fun way to get some delicious rice pilaf into you 🙂 It’s also a grand idea if you have a leftover rice or quinoa dish in the fridge and feel like revamping it. When making stuffed bell peppers, the cooking vessel is the meal itself – love it!

Did you that 1/2 cup of cooked bell pepper provides between 121-132 mg of vitamin C, which meets the daily needs of males and females aged 19 and older, including pregnant women and breastfeeding women? And vitamin C has a very busy job (I thought I was busy but… 😉 )! It helps us absorb iron from plant sources like legumes and whole grains, keeps our gums healthy, forms and repairs blood and bones and helps prevent cancer and aging-related diseases as it is an antioxidant.

With subtle hints of menthol and a sweet tartness conferred by the goji berries, these not only taste fantastic but are loaded with protein, veggies and whole grains.

Peppers Stuffed with Goji Mint Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 6-7 bell peppers
• 1 cup rice (I used a mix of brown and wild rice)
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 butternut squash (you can sub for sweet potato or any other squash), cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 head of broccoli, chopped
• 4 stalks raw celery, sliced
• 1/4 cup goji berries (or cranberries or dried blueberries)
• 1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. Herbamare
• 1 bunch mint, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook the rice according to instructions on package, along with the butternut squash and Herbamare. About halfway through, add in the chopped up broccoli.
3. During this time, prepare the bell peppers. Cut the tops from the peppers and remove all white-ish membranes and seeds. Cook the bell peppers whole and uncovered in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain by flipping them over. Lightly salt the insides of the peppers
4. Once rice is well cooked, add in the canned chickpeas, celery, mint, olive oil, pecans, goji berries and green onions.
5. Stuff peppers with the rice pilaf.
6. Bake for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve!