What are we having for dinner???

Am I the only one that despises this question?  I think this is the question that I am asked most often - and always by the same person (I have no kids, so does that narrow it down?).

WHAT ARE WE HAVING FOR DINNER???????

Deciding what to have for dinner is painful to me, and for whatever reason I seem to get in to "ruts"... The same stuff over and over and over again.  Being a relatively new vegetarian, I think it may be even worse because I wouldn't call myself an "expert" at vegetarian cuisine.  Quite honestly, I can grill a kick-ass steak, but that talent isn't doing anything for me at this point.

I am always looking for new and interesting vegetarian recipes.  My husband is a relatively picky eater, so I find myself filtering those recipes based on what I think he'll actually eat.  I have collected a few vegetarian cookbooks, some better than others, and have a subscription to Vegetarian Times magazine (which is really fantastic).  With all these recipes on hand, I've made a committment to expand my dinner repertoire by making 30 consecutive NEW dinners.  Today is day 4 of that exercise.  Day 1 was a Sweet Potato and Chickpea Chili.  Day 2 was homemade Ricotta Gnocchi.  Day 3 was a spicy vegetable soup.  Day 4, today, was stuffed peppers.  I would characterize days 2 and 4 as "successful" in that I will add these items to my dinner rotation when this little exercise is complete.  Day 1, was ok but I think it wasn't good enough to be repeated.  Day 3 (the soup) was a little bit too spicy for my Irish blood.  It did, however, give me a chance to cook with chipotle peppers in adobo, which is an ingredient I haven't worked with.  I might make it again if the recipe were tweaked slightly.

Tonight's dinner, the stuffed peppers, was very easy and really delish.  I served it with some of the leftover soup from last night (I still consider this a "new" dinner...  Hope I'm not cheating there...).  The recipe follows.

Saffron Rice Stuffed Peppers
1 package yellow saffron rice (the prepackaged rice/seasoning stuff in the grocery store)
2 medium red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, stems and seeds removed
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 green onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 shredded cheese (Mexican-type blend - cheddar/monterey jack)
2 Tbsp water

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, microwave red bell pepper halves (covered) for three minutes.

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 mins.  Add tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, garlic, and half the cilantro.  Cook a few minutes until the green peppers are tender.

Stir veggie mixture into the finished rice.  Add 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Dry the cooked red peppers and place in the skillet that the veggies were sauteed in.  Stuff with rice mixture and top with remaining cheese.  Put water in skillet and cover.  Heat for a couple of minutes at medium-low heat until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with cilantro when serving.