Quinoa Stuffed Pepper with Stir-Fry Vegetables and Fried Tofu

Eating healthy and incorporating movement into my day is a priority for me. This YogaLean recipe contains lean protein, a variety of colorful vegetables, and creamy coconut milk. Presenting the meal IN a vegetable is a great way to include more vegetables in your diet. Using quinoa rather than rice lowers the Glycemic Load of the meal and increases the fiber content.

Base Ingredients:
1 Pepper for each person being served
1 package of FIRM TOFU per two people being served
2 cups of vegetables (cut a similar size) for each person being served
1 Can of Coconut Milk (I used Thai Kitchen LITE)
1 TSP Red Curry Paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
2 TBSP Toasted Sesame Oil

Instructions:
1. Open and drain the tofu (ideally do this in the morning or the night before). Place between a clean kitchen towel between two plates. Dry tofu cooks evenly and has a chewy rather than soggy texture.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. Hollow out the peppers by cutting the top off horizontally. Remove the seeds and stem. Dice the top of the pepper that was around the stem and add to the stir-fry. (HINT: When shopping look for peppers that have a relatively stable base and are as regularly shaped as possible). Place the peppers on non-stick aluminum foil in the oven for about 20 minutes…while the rest of the food cooks! The peppers are done when they start to develop wrinkles and are soft to the touch.
3. Start the quinoa if you do not have any left over. You can follow the package directions and use 2 cups of water OR, to add more flavor, substitute 1 or 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth for the water.
4. Gather your vegetables, wash them, and cut them into even sizes. I always use garlic and onion then deviate from there. Today I used cauliflower greens and the extra red pepper. Add the vegetables, coconut milk, and red curry paste to a pan. Turn the burner on to medium heat and cover. Stir periodically. It will be done when the vegetables are tender, el dente if you prefer, and most of the liquid is evaporated.
5. Now, uncover the block of tofu, cut into even sizes. Add to a pan with sesame oil. Add pepper if you wish a bit more spice. Sautee on medium heat and turn the tofu from time to time so each side browns and develops a crunchy outer shell.

Cook time from start to finish is 30-45 minutes.

Serve:
• Center the pepper on a plate. Fill 3/4 full with quinoa and spoon vegetables and coconut mixture over pepper so it spills out and creates a circle around pepper.
• Add the tofu wedges around the vegetables.