We're celebrating peppers at Veggie Buds Club this month and these stuffed roasted red peppers are absolutely divine! They are bursting with flavor and yet totally kid-friendly. If you think your kiddo/s will find the flavor to be too much simply adjust their servings- examples include omitting the garlic and oregano in the roasting process and omitting the kalamata olives. Simple roasted red peppers stuffed with orzo pasta and topped with fresh basil is a totally tasty kid meal. What's great is that you can still add all of the extra flavors and toppings to the adult servings- yum! 

INGREDIENTS
For roasted red peppers and cherry tomatoes

• 2 red bell peppers, halved
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

For orzo pasta

• 3/4 cup dry orzo
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a glass baking dish, place the halved peppers on one side and cherry tomatoes on the other side. Drizzle olive oil on top and rub over the peppers and tomatoes. Sprinkle the minced garlic into each pepper and place one sprig of oregano into each pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over peppers and tomatoes. Place baking dish in oven and roast for about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the orzo pasta. Boil for about 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until toasted (watch closely as they go from toasted to burned very quickly!).
4. Drain the orzo and mix in the balsamic vinegar and kalamata olives.
5. Take the peppers out of the oven and stuff with the orzo mixture. Top with toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil, feta cheese, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

See notes below on how to meal prep to make this a quick weeknight meal!

To prep ahead simply:

1. Toast pine nuts, place in Tupperware in fridge.
2. Cook orzo and mix in balsamic vinegar, place in Tupperware in fridge.
3. When it's time to make dinner, roast the peppers and tomatoes according to above instructions. Microwave orzo, mix in kalamata olives, stuff peppers, and top with toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil, feta cheese, and lemon juice.

June is Pepper Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this fun and colorful pepper recipe from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! 

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

One of the best ways to get kids excited about vegetables is to pair them with kid-friendly flavors that they love. Pizza is one of those things that kids usually can’t get enough of, right? Not only are these stuffed peppers “pizza-fied,” they are mini 
which makes them even more fun! However, if you can’t find mini peppers, you can use two regular peppers (cut in half lengthwise) and follow the recipe below. Feel free to customize the pepper stuffing as you please: you can leave out the spinach or add extra chopped or shredded veggies like carrots or zucchini. Topping the “pizzas” is a great way to let your little chefs get involved and add what they’d like on top of each pepper. Also, if you want to make this dish dairy-free, feel free to use a cheese alternative or leave out the cheese entirely. It will still taste great! 

​Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice
• ½ cup marinara sauce
• ½ cup baby spinach, finely chopped
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 10 to 12 mini sweet peppers, halved lengthwise and seeds and ribs removed
• Additional toppings: sliced olives, pepperoni, or anything else you’d like

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet in parchment paper or aluminum foil.
   
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix quinoa, marinara sauce, chopped spinach, and a ¼ cup of the cheese.
   
3. Stuff each pepper half with about a teaspoon or so of the quinoa mixture then place on the prepared baking pan. Once peppers are all filled, sprinkle each one with a pinch of the remaining cheese and top with any additional toppings.
   
4. Bake peppers until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.