Baked Egg, Herbed Quinoa + Squash Stuffed Bell Peppers

I’m not partial to comparing food to convenience as I believe I eat to live, to nourish and sustain my body as best I can, but made in advance these baked egg and veg bell peppers can serve as a quick go-to for a breakfast or snack.

I understand why food is often appealing when marketed as convenient and easy to make, because our society is constantly moving. Always busy, always in a rush. Working as hard as we can, being efficient. Eating is an inconvenient need that we satisfy based on when it’s suitable for the time of day we have allowed ourselves to come around to eat. What is a lunch break? A specified, planned out time of day to feed our bodies? What happened to listening to our bodies when we’re hungry, when we need food, rather than eating based on the time of day we have been allowed. Our hypothalamus regulates feelings of hunger and satiety. We have a built in physiological mechanism to understand when our body needs fuel. We have become so disconnected from our bodies that we often can’t distinguish between what is hunger and what is craving. We have abused the power of food, indulging in gluttony or searching for the most convenient way to provide ourselves with energy. We often ignore hunger, because we don’t have the time or desire to dedicate any out of our busy lifestyles to focus on this basic act that allows us to continue breathing, to continue living

Growing up we are educated about history, mathematics, vocabulary, science and the world around us, but what about food and nutrition? It’s what we need to survive, I do not understand how this doesn’t hold some sort of precedence or greater value in our society.

I feel some of us forget to acknowledge, and more importantly appreciate, the essentiality of eating

Why have we degraded the action of fueling our bodies that support our daily activities, thoughts, interactions

Eating is fundamental, it should be a priority

I feel many of us take it for granted because it’s what we’ve always done

We need to grasp the concept that this basic act is not mundane

We need to focus on supporting and maintaining this powerhouse that is our body, reconnecting homeostatic mechanisms

understanding how our body works and what it’s trying to tell us

Maybe then we will see a reduction in pain, discomfort and disease.

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I like to think of these as portable cups of nutrition

An inside packed with healthy whole grains or seeds, vegetables and protein

Enveloped in a bell pepper and a sheet of freshly dried herbs

The sweetness of the pepper comes through after baking, contrasting with the savory tastes of the egg, spiced quinoa and squash. I loved the squash element here, it’s in season right now but I feel the inherent sweetness of baked squash balances the overall combination of sweet and savory flavors throughout.

I chose quinoa for the complex carbohydrate and kabocha squash for the veg.

Imagine the possibilities with this thang..mix in some legumes with brown rice or spelt for a complementary protein source

or maybe some curried millet with chopped tomatoes, jalapeños and scallions

What’s your favorite vegetable and grain combination?

Put it in there.

Do you like cheese?

Layer that on top, to create a nice gooey film that melts into the egg

Sink your teeth into successive layers of texture and flavor

A balanced meal of complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein.

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Nutritional yeast more of your thing?

I added some on top, as I eat this stuff by the spoonful alone. Try mixing it in with the veg and grain, then bake.

Below was my first impromptu shot at baked eggs in a bell pepper. I threw in an egg and some herbs and baked that.

It was great, but I wanted to create something more balanced for my blog post. You may do this as well if it suits you better.

Ingredients:

medium-large Bell peppers (any color, use as many as you’d like)

eggs (one egg per bell pepper)

quinoa, cooked (or other favorite grain/seed)

squash, cooked (or other vegetable)

herbs (I used oregano, thyme and rosemary)

cheese/nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, or wait till later to start oven

2. Core/clean bell pepper and place on baking sheet

3. Layer in veg and quinoa in pepper, making sure to leave about an inch or so of room for the egg

-It’ll depend on the size of your pepper how much veg/quinoa you can add. Try 1/3-1/4 cup of each. Just experiment and take some out or add some more as needed.

4. Crack egg on top

5. Add herbs and cheese if desired

6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until egg is cooked to your preference

7. Store in air-tight container in fridge if you have any leftover

Enjoy, and more importantly think about what you’re eating and how that’s fueling your body in a beneficial way

I’d love to hear your thoughts on convenience and eating to live, drop me a comment or a personal message if you feel more comfortable that way