We do a lot of different types of stuffed peppers at our house, vegan and animal protein. This recipe from @Pure Ella caught my eye, because of the tofu which is a wonderful protein source. Also, I used Kite Hill Almond Cheese Spread to make it a bit more creamy and robust. I love the idea of using the mini peppers, because you can use this recipe as an appetizer for guests too.
Stuffed Peppers with Herbed Tofu
Ingredients:
8-10 mini tri-coloured peppers (red, orange and yellow)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 zucchini, chopped fine
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped fine
1 package of organic firm tofu*, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
up to 1/4 cup non-dairy milk, 3 tablespoons of vegan mayo or 2 tablespoons of Kite Hill Almond Cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1/2 – 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 – 1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
coconut oil for cooking
fresh basil for plating
.
* Be sure to always purchase only Organic tofu as soy is one of the top GMO foods. So are peppers! Of course, try to buy as much organic as possible…
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and prep a non-aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper.
Clean and dry the peppers. Cut the ends off and scoop out the insides with a small spoon. Set aside.
In a frying pan, sautee the onion over low-medium until golden but not burned (any black spots will add a bitter taste to the recipe, so keep stirring often and keep the heat fairly low). Add the zucchini and garlic into the onion and cook together until all is softened, adding more oil if needed. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a food processor, pulse the tofu until it crumbles, add in all the ingredients from the pan, the milk or mayo and the herbs, pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt. Pulse more to combine all the ingredients, but don’t overmix as some texture from the onions and zucchini is great in this recipe. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Fill the peppers with the tofu mixture, place on the baking dish and drizzle with grape seed oil. Toss them to coat in the oil then sprinkle with extra dried basil and/or oregano, fresh thyme, a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, turning over once halfway through the cooking time. Serve straight from the oven or leave to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.
