Stuffed Peppers And The Joy Of Vegan Baking Brownies

I’m not even going to talk about it, because I know I this stuff pops up way too often on my blog, but there may or may not have been raw carrot and zucchini noodles with raw alfredo on my plate at lunch.  It was an official clean out the fridge leftovers lunch, as far as side dishes went!

My grandma sent me home last night with a nice big bag full of peppers, so tonight for dinner I made stuffed peppers!  I stuffed red and orange peppers with brown rice, black beans, chopped pepper (I diced the tops minus the stem), garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, all mixed with just a little vegetable broth, and topped off with a sprinkling of shredded Follow Your Heart nacho “cheese”.

After baking covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, and uncovered for an additional 8 minutes, we had tender peppers stuffed with yummy filling!

That blurred baked maple dijon tofu in the background was practically the flavor star of the plate though.  The maple dijon marinade used to be my specialty (I didn’t tell people it was only 3 little ingredients!), so I have no idea why I never thought to marinade tofu in it.  Trust me- it’s amazing, and like I said, only 3 ingredients!

Baked Maple Dijon Tofu

• 1 block firm tofu, pressed
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon or 2 cloves minced garlic

Blend ingredients and marinate tofu at least an hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake sliced tofu for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

When I was hit with a sudden after-dinner brownie craving, I consulted my stack of vegan cookbooks.  Unfortunately, most of them called for silken tofu or something else I didn’t have on hand until I got to The Joy of Vegan Baking.  I can’t say I reach for this one a ton because I have VCIYCJ and VCTOTW in my life, but it is filled with a lot of visually appetizing sweets and treats.  The brownies turned out chocolaty, gooey, and sweet; yum!  I think if I made them again I would use less cocoa powder, because the bitter/sourness of the powder was still apparent to me in the finished product.

I really want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday here or on Twitter.  I truly appreciated each and every comment and birthday wish.  You guys are the best!  Stay tuned for another giveaway tomorrow!

When is your birthday?  What’s your sign?  Does your astrological sign suit you?