GF Vegan Spicy Stuffed Peppers w/ Broiled Flounder!

Four Ohio teams in the Sweet Sixteen! Woo! It’s about time Ohio represented:) Today was a long day. Long story short…it started out with blood work, and was filled with nausea all day from the new holistic regime. Needless to say, I was wanting something warm and comforting for dinner tonight. So…I made wonderful GF Vegan Warm and Spicy Stuffed Peppers with Broiled Flounder!

a pretty little present:)

And boy, did it hit the spot. Even though it might not be your “traditional” comfort food fare, it really achieved the relaxing, cozy feeling I was looking for — with a special, spicy flare.

such beautiful colors and flavors!

So here’s what you need:

3 red peppers – tops cut off, seeded, and set aside — dice the tops — one per person
1/2 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
several mushrooms, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup veg stock
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup brown rice, cooked

Spice Mix
1 t chili powder
1/8 tsp allspice
healthy pinch ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
pinch of sugar
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon

open to reveal the amazing deliciousness inside:)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Saute your onions in 1 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes. Add in your mushrooms, and let them release their moisture. After about four minutes, stir in your peppers and carrots. Let them cook for a few minutes, and then stir in your garlic. Let everything cook for about 3 more minutes, and then stir in your spice mix. Coat all your veggies, and then pour in your veg stock and apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the bottom of the pan, and pour in 1/2 the can of diced tomatoes. Finally, stir in the cooked rice. You’re now ready to stuff your peppers.

Take your three peppers (one per person) and place them in a deep casserole dish. If your pepper won’t stand up or is wobbly, just cut off a little of the bottom to stabilize. Fill your peppers, rounding off the top. Cover with tin foil and put in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then, take off the foil and put back in the oven, turning up the heat to 400 degrees for 20 more minutes. Serve with the other half of the diced tomatoes, warmed up in the microwave with salt and pepper. Delish!

so delicious and so healthy!

Finally, I served those delectable peppers with broiled flounder. We have a slight love affair with Lobsta Bakes‘ flounder. It is incredible. This wild, ocean-caught fish is just succulent. Melt in your mouth, flakey, tender, moist — a truly delicious fish! I broiled it with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and fresh dill.

flakey flounder:)

This dinner was fantastic. I loved the peppers. They were warm and spicy, with an underlying sweetness from the cocoa powder and the sweet peppers and carrots. You see, cocoa powder itself is actually bitter, and needs to be sweetened up. In this dish, it is sweetened naturally from the carrots and the bell peppers! Yum! That subtle sweetness is complimented so beautifully by the warm heat of the cumin and cinnamon, and the slight spicy heat of the chili powder. All highlighted by the slight brightness from the tomatoes. And they are aesthetically beautiful — they look like little presents! And you cut into them, and there’s just this release of steam, and the moist, delicious rice pilaf is revealed.

Here’s to meals that make you feel warm and cozy:)