Happy New Year and welcome to 2022. While it isn’t starting out to be a banner year - I’m hoping for a better year than 2021 - at least from a pandemic perspective.
Dan and I are spending some time in Arizona - the weather is much warmer and as a bonus, we get to see some family we haven’t seen in a while. We’re still keeping things low key, not eating in restaurants, seeing people outdoors, and masking whenever in public.
I've started on another 30-day yoga journey to renew my practice (Yoga with Adrienne) and I'm trying to get out every day to walk at a new park, trail, or hike. Our rental is very nice and we have lots of citrus trees - that keep us in oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.
Dan is working (someone has to make money) most days but sneaking in a walk, hike, or happy hour on the patio when the weather is particularly awesome. We're planning to visit the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden and do a bit of driving for some weekend hikes. All in all we're doing well and not missing all that MN weather.
A friend gave us 2 poblano peppers the other day and I decided to stuff them with some quinoa and veggies - beware - I did not use gloves when slicing them and my hand burned for a couple hours after that. I finally got up and put ice on it, which did the trick.
One thing about staying in someone else’s house, you don’t have all those bottles and jars of stuff and you really don’t want to go out and purchase them so you make do. For those of you wondering tho - I'd still buy the black beans and not spend my time cooking them from scratch.
Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients:
- 1 package roasted red pepper quinoa mix
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- Olive oil
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with chilies
- 1 can of black beans
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp each: black pepper, salt, and cumin
- vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 medium poblano peppers
- 1 avocado
Instructions:
Cook quinoa using package directions. Saute onion, garlic, and carrots in a little olive oil until tender. Add spices and stir to combine. Add tomatoes, black beans, and cooked quinoa and simmer until the mixture is hot.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut a slit down the middle of each pepper and remove seeds (this is where a pair of gloves would be a good idea). Stuff the peppers with the quinoa mixture, cover with foil, and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve with salsa and avocados.
Enjoy!
