Summer Recipes- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

The first in our new series of summer recipes, try these delicious peppers as a main dish by incorporating a lean meat, ex. chicken breast, or as a hearty side dish.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2 cups         water or vegetable stock

1 cup           quinoa, well rinsed and drained

 2 lg              red peppers, halved and seeded

2 large        green peppers, halved and seeded

½ tsp.               cayenne pepper

Vegetable or olive oil for spraying peppers and casserole dish and salt and pepper to taste

 The Stuffing

2 Tbsp.          olive oil

½ med.        onion, finely diced

1                      carrot, finely diced

2                      stalks celery, finely diced

½ cup           shelled pumpkin seeds

2                      cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp.)

½ tsp.           cumin

1 tsp.             chili powder

1/8 cup        finely chopped fresh oregano

1/8 cup        finely chopped fresh basil

3/4 cup       vegetable stock or chicken stock

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for spraying the casserole dish

            In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa to it, and simmer on low heat with the saucepan covered.  Cook the quinoa until the liquid has evaporated and the quinoa is very tender, about 30 minutes.  Set the quinoa aside.  (The quinoa may be cooked up to 2 days before the peppers are stuffed.)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.   Spray the pepper halves with the oil and season with salt and cayenne pepper.  Place the peppers on a baking pan, and bake for 15 minutes, until softened a little.  Next prepare the stuffing.  Heat the olive oil in a pan, and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, pumpkin seeds, garlic, cumin, and chili powder for 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and become lightly browned.  Add the cooked quinoa, oregano, and basil to the vegetables, and continue to sauté for 1 more minute, until all the ingredients are blended well.  Salt to taste.   Fill each pepper half with even amounts of the quinoa filling, and place them in a lightly oiled and ovenproof casserole dish.  Add the ½ cup water to the pan.  Cover the dish with foil, and bake the stuffed peppers for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are tender. 

Yields 6 servings.
Nutritional Info. Per Serving:  Calories  220;  Protein  6 g;  Fat  9 g