They say the weather in Colorado fluctuates significantly, so you should always be prepared. They weren’t fooling! Today, after my work day ended, I headed outside for a workout…figured a gorgeous Colorado afternoon outside beat any gym! 25 minutes in, drops start falling….I ignore, but about 10 minutes later, hail starts pelting down.

What the $&#€! It’s June!

Well, this just means dinner creations get started early!  I grabbed inspiration from my Maid of Honor gift, Vegetables from an Italian Garden cookbook. I usually spend anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour on dinner….this meal took about an hour, with everything said and done. But, totally worth it!!

Fried stuffed peppers with Brussel Sprout Stuffing in a Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto (this makes a lot, so save half for another meal- I made caprese sandwiches for lunch with some!)

A handful of spinach
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh Parmesan cheese
About 1/3 cup veggie stock
2-3 cloves of garlic

Brussels Sprout Stuffing
15-25 Brussel Sprouts
2 pieces of thick, crusty bread (I used whole grain from Sprouts)
1 tablespoon butter
3-4 tablespoons of the spinach pesto

Fried Stuffed Peppers
3 Peppers- 1 green, 2 red
1/3 of a yellow onion, minced
1 hot red pepper, minced (this is a preference, can be left out)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 egg
3 tablespoons flour
1 package of firm tofu, drained
Panko crumbs

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic & onion & hot pepper. Add red pepper flakes. Saute for about 3-5 minutes. Add tofu to the onion mixture, crumbling it with your hands or a spoon. Brown/sauté for about 12minutes.

Cut butts off of brussel sprouts an add to a pot with about 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and steam for about 5 minutes, till soft.

Cut peppers lengthwise. De-seed and sprinkle bottoms with flour, then brush with beaten egg, then sprinkle with more flour. Set them aside to be stuffed.

Once tofu mixture is brown, scoop into pepper halves then add peppers back to pan, adding a bit more oil. Sauté for about 20 minutes over medium-medium low heat. Put lid on for about 9 minutes, then take lid off. Add panko crumbs during the last 3 minutes.

Once brussel sprouts are soft, cut in half, add butter to a baking dish, along with sprouts and spinach pesto. Add the crusty bread, tearing or cutting into small pieces. Mix together. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

This is a bit healthier than the original recipe…they are not deep fried, in fact you could probable omit the flour and egg and have it turn out just as scrumptious! It sounds like a lot of steps, but while one thing is happening, you can work on the next thing! People have asked me how long things really take, and they don’t take long…it’s just about managing your time in the kitchen and being confident on yourself.

Enjoy this….Mike definitely did and ate all the brussel sprout stuffing!