Eating With Color!

One of the healthiest ways you can eat is by choosing fruits and vegetables with a variety of colors. Why? Well, not only do different fruits and vegetables provide us with a variety of nutrients as well as fiber, but they also contain phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are protective compounds, many of which act as antioxidants and help to prevent cancer and a variety of other diseases. SO, simply stated, eat meals full of color so that you get a variety of phytochemicals! OK, enough science for today folks... lets talk food :)

Stuffed Yellow Peppers with quinoa, feta and spinach-basil pesto drizzle

This dish is out of this world. I was very impressed with myself after making this! It has quinoa, chickpeas, raisins, and spinach in the stuffing-- lots of vibrant colors and bold flavors. NOT to mention how satisfying it is. One of these peppers and you will be set for the rest of the night.


Stuffed Peppers:

• 2 Yellow Peppers (you can choose any color you like, I prefer the yellow and orange peppers for their sweetness)

Stuffing:

• 1 cup quinoa (you can also use couscous)
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup feta
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cardamon

Pesto Drizzle:

• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 cup basil
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Bring 1 1/4 cups water + cardamon and quinoa to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to simmer and cook until water is fully absorbed. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest.

3. Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the beans, raisins, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle top with olive oil. 

5. Place peppers in a baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch of hot water. Bake until the filling is golden brown and the peppers are cooked through. Approximately 45- 50 minutes.

Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, spinach, olive oil,  garlic, lemon juice, parmesan, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy :)
                                                           Arugula and Apple Salad

This salad is super quick to make and one of my personal favorite weeknight meals. It is light yet so incredibly tasty.  Since it is fall and apples are abundant, you can really choose any kind that you like. I personally love Honeycrisps and think the work really well with this salad. I chose the arugula because it has a peppery bite to it that works well with the sweetness of the apple. 


Apple and Arugula Salad:

• Arugula lettuce
• 1 Honeycrisp apple
• 1 Lemon
• Honey
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions: Slice apples and toss with fresh arugula lettuce. Zest 1/2 of a fresh lemon and combine with salad. Juice 1/2 lemon into the salad. Add some honey and extra virgin olive oil to coat the salad. Enjoy!