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I don’t know why, but I am liking Mondays for some reason lately.  Even though I don’t like to see the weekend go, Mondays just fly by so fast for me.  It’s like there’s a fresh set of tasks to accomplish and it gets me going.  Even though I love Fridays, by the end of the week I tend to drag!  What’s your favorite day of the week and why?

For dinner we had quinoa-stuffed bell peppers.  I just can’t get tired of this recipe.  I think I’ve made it at least 5 times now and it’s soo good!  This time I added some chopped zucchini and had apple chicken sausage on hand.  You should give it a try.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

(adapted from everyday food)

Yield

4 servings as a filling main, or 6-8 as a lighter dish with a nice salad

• 4 red bell peppers
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 chicken sausage links (any flavor and removed from casings)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander or any blend like Mrs. Dash or Italian seasoning would work
• salt and black pepper
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup grated Fontina cheese (great nutty flavor), or your favorite type

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450. Slice a very thin layer from the base of a pepper so it sits upright. Slice off top, just below stem, and remove ribs and seeds from the pepper, Repeat with remaining peppers. Discard stems; chop tops and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, zucchini, sausage (remove meat from casings), coriander, and chopped tops; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is soft and sausage is cooked through with browning.
Add quinoa and garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11-13 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in walnuts, and 3/4 cup cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Divide evenly and stuff peppers with the quinoa mixture; place in a baking dish. Place 1 cup water in the dish, cover with foil and bake until peppers are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Uncover, and top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts and gets bubbly. Yummy and fillling!

I got some free yogurt coupons from the nice people at Stoneyfield Farms a little while ago.  I had never had Oikos before, but as you all know I’m a huge greek yogurt fan.  I practically put it on everything!  So I decided to give it a try and compare it to my most beloved and cheaper TJ’s brand.  I give you yogurt battle . . . Oikos vs. TJ’s in the ultimate showdown of thick and creamy goodness!

I decided to try a variety of flavors, even though I’m not big on the flavored yogurts.  I tried plain, vanilla, strawberry and honey.  I have to say they were quite the treat, very creamy and smooth; you could tell it was really great quality.  I have to say though that the flavored ones were too sweet for me!  I don’t like all that sugary stuff at the bottom.  I would love for it to have much less.  Out of the flavored ones, I like the vanilla best because it wasn’t too sweet.  I’m so used to that slight tang from plain yogurt that flavored ones are a bit much for me now.

I also really enjoyed the shape of the container.  It was just wide enough to fill it with some great toppings like fruit and granola.  Like this . . . for a perfect snack.

Gotta love Gina’s granola . . . mmm nice and crunchy!

So what’s the verdict?  I would have to say that I would love to purchase this yogurt in the future, but the only deterrent is the price.  At $1.99 a pop at Whole Foods, I cannot justify buying this all the time, but it is a really great treat 🙂

What’s your favorite yogurt brand and the best way you like to enjoy it?