(Adapted from Feb 2009 Vegetarian Times) Serves 4.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 clove minced garlic
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
7 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 + cup quinoa, rinsed
2 medium carrots, grate
1 c vegetable broth
3/4 c pepper jack cheese, grated, divided
2 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

Saute onion in EVOO until soft.  Add cumin and garlic, saute about 1 min.  Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes.  Cook about 5 minutes or until all the liquid has cooked off.  Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots and vegetable broth. 

Pepper Stuffing.... Veggies and Quinoa

Cover, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.  Pour reserved liquid from tomatoes into bottom of baking dish.  When quinoa mixture is done, stir in 1/2 c cheese.  Fill each pepper half with a quarter of the quinoa mixture and place in baking dish. 

Going Into the Oven

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover, sprinkle each pepper with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes more, until tops are browned.  Let stand 5 minutes, drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

• Whole Wheat* Pizza Crust
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1 Tbsp Dry Active Yeast

1 c warm water, 110 – 115 F

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 1/2 c white flour

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp Canola or Olive Oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes.  Stir in (all but a 1/2 c of the) flour, sugar, salt and oil.  Knead in remaining 1/2 c of flour by hand (maybe a Tbsp or two more, if needed) for about 5 minutes.  Dough will be smooth and elastic.

Coat dough with oil, put in a bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap and a hot, wet towel.  Allow dough to rise about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425F.  Grease a 13″ inch pizza pan with a little oil (or dust a pizza stone with corn meal) stretch dough to fit pan.  Top as desired, bake 12 – 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

*Use any proportion of whole wheat and white flour, totaling 3 cups.  Be warned though that anything more than 1 1/2 c of whole wheat flour and the dough turns too tough.  The more white flour (and therefore less ww flour) the softer the dough will be.

Veggie Pizza

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