Serves 6 / A pleasure for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Ingredient tip: I use Field Roast vegan sausage, made with grains. Look for it in the seitan and tofu section of your market. Prep tip: These are a great item to make ahead; they’ll keep for five to seven days refrigerated in an airtight container (placing them in individual zip-top bags works, too). They also can be frozen and stored for several weeks.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound vegan sausage, such as Field Roast (original flavor), casings removed, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup Merlot or other red wine, divided
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups marinara or other tomato-based pasta sauce
1/2 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
3 medium red bell peppers
2 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
1. Heat vegetable oil to medium-high heat in a large nonstick or heavy skillet. Add vegan sausage, Italian herb mix, onions, and mushrooms, and sauté until golden brown, 7–8 minutes.
2. Deglaze pan with half of the red wine, scraping up any browned bits. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium; let cook for 1–2 minutes. Add olive oil, marinara, and tofu; continue simmering 10–15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Return heat to medium-high and brown the bottom; stir and brown again one or two more times, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat
3. Preheat oven to 350. Halve peppers lengthwise, slicing from stem to bottom; remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Stuff halves with tofu mixture. Place in a well-oiled baking dish and pour remaining wine around them. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, until peppers are tender and golden brown on edges and bottoms. Serve topped with toasted chopped pistachios and chopped fresh chives.
PER SERVING: 266 cal, 44% fat cal, 13g sat, 2g sat fat, 0mg chol, 18g protein, 21g carb, 5g fiber, 480mg sodium
