21 Day Fix Tofu Stuffed Peppers

The 21 Day Fix is an awesome way to discover some great new recipes.  Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of ones that offer vegan varieties.  The other thing is that, if you're in one of the upper brackets, you need a lot of protein! Having some meat free options can be a really great way to ensure you don't get tired of eating the same things over and over!

This recipe is based off of the Fixate Cookbook Chicken Stuffed Peppers. We upped the spice content and added a few other things, as well as left out the corn.  We just didn't feel like wasting that extra yellow (you know what I mean!!).

So here it is - the recipe for Tofu Stuffed Peppers.  Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients.  From start to finish, this is a really simple recipe that doesn't take a ton of active time to prep. Part of the magic of cutting the peppers length-wise is you don't have to blanch them before hand and they're easier to eat this way :) 

Tofu Stuffed Peppers

Makes 6 servings (Each ½ pepper = 1 serving) 

Fix portions (vegan plan) = 1 1/4 Red, 3/4 Green, 3/4 Yellow, 1/4 Blue

Ingredients: 

2 tsp Olive Oil or aquafaba* 
1 Medium Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 16 oz Block Super Firm Tofu**
3 Tbsp Braggs Amino Acids
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp paprika (preferably smoked, but regular is fine too)
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 Cup low sodium tomato sauce
2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice (I use brown rice)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup lime juice (or just the juice of 1 lime)
¼ cup cilantro (optional)
½ cup Monterey jack cheese (I used Dayia block and shredded it)
4 Bell Peppers

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut bell peppers in half, length wise, take out seeds and place in baking dish
3. Break up tofu into bite sized pieces (about ¼ to ½ inch)
4. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add onion. Add onions and sautee until translucent (for about 4-5 minutes). If it starts sticking, add a little water
5. Add garlic and sautee for an additional minute
6. Add tofu and spices and stir to coat the tofu. Sautee for about 3-4 minutes and add the amino acids. Sautee for an additional 3-4 minutes until liquid is absorbed
7. Add tomato sauce, rice, beans, lime juice and cilantro (if using) and heat through
8. Add 2/3 cups of mixture to each bell pepper and cover lightly with foil
9. Bake for 35 minutes, remove foil and top each pepper with 1 heaped Tblsp cheese, then bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted

****Recipe Notes****

* Aquafaba is the water from the can of chickpeas. I no added salt chickpeas and save the water from the can for all of my sauteeing.  It works wonders and allows you to brown your veggies. You to need to use more of this than oil, but it’s great for those who want to cook oil free

** Trader Joe’s has amazing Super Firm Tofu, however if you can’t find that, using Extra Firm is ok too.  It will change the texture a bit but will still taste good