Day after day, I have been making these delicious AND healthy dishes like Cauliflower Risotto, Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos, and Savory Steel-Cut Oats to put in front of him. Over time, he has accepted that it is not a phase and has quietly come to enjoy these meals. While he’s never actually told me this, I think he has even started enjoying them more than the typical American comfort food type of dishes that he grew up eating. Recently, we watched the documentary Forks over Knives which is about how what we eat has a direct effect on our overall health, and how little changes that we make in our diet can result in a disease-free future. Obviously, this was nothing new to me, but for Dwight, it was an eye opener, and therefore very effective. He had already known about the importance of eating healthy, but seeing the results of studies over years of research and experiments put things in a much clearer perspective for him. I think by the end, more than anything, it made both of us to realize that it doesn’t take too much to make minor changes in our diet to get big results. So we decided that we would incorporate more of a plant-based diet with grains and beans into our lives. Instead of using dairy and oils to flavor things, we agreed to use spices, fresh herbs, nuts, and seeds. Our goal is to do this 80% of the time. I mean, we don’t want to stop eating meat, dairy, or sugar completely, but we do want to make sure that we keep the consumption of these types of foods to a minimum or just save them for celebratory occasions. I must admit – it has been a work in progress, but overall, we both have been enjoying it. Of course, living on an island with very minimal distractions helps, but it has also been a lot fun for me to get creative with what we have access to. These Middle Eastern Inspired Stuffed Peppers are a part of our 80% diet. It is a dish that my mother would make during the summers when bell peppers were in abundance back home. It is made with a bulgur filling flavored with lots of onions, cinnamon, all spice, pine nuts, dried currents, and fresh herbs like basil, mint, and dill. I personally love this dish because (1) it reminds me of back home and (2) I find that the combination of flavors of cinnamon, all spice, pine nuts, and currants mixed with fresh herbs do an amazing job of turning otherwise boring bell peppers into a uniquely delicious summer dish. Not to mention it is filling, healthy, and vegan.
