While struggling with my ongoing quest to be thinner, I found some health tips that suggest going meatless one day out of the week. A lot of people do “Meatless Mondays”.  This time of year, many people also give up meat on Fridays during Lent. This past Monday I decided to give it a try and this is what I had for dinner.

I adapted the recipe from the Fat Burning Meal Plan book that comes with the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution workout program. It doesn’t seem like a lot when you think your dinner will just be a pepper stuffed with circular rice, but the quinoa is so filling and the meal leaves you feeling healthy.

Recipe: Quinoa & Mushroom Stuffed Peppers adapted from Jillian Michaels’ Body Revolution cookbook

Serves 4

What You Need:

• 4 bell peppers, yellow or red
• 3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 oz white mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
•  

  What To Do:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F

  2. Boil 1 & 1/2 cups water in a small pot. Add quinoa and simmer for 15 minutes.

  3. While quinoa is simmering, core the peppers and microwave them for 3 minutes.

  4. Heat oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, mushrooms, and onion in a large skillet until the mushrooms begin to brown.

  5. Stir in tomatoes and oregano.

  6. Add in quinoa until well incorporated.

  7. Add 1 inch water to a small baking dish. Place peppers inside of it. Divide the quinoa mixture into the peppers and bake for 30 minutes.