Quinoa (Keen-Wah) Stuffed Peppers

Ready to pop in the oven 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers just out of the oven.

Serves 4 (recipe can be doubled)

Recipe from minimalistbaker.com

Husband-Tested and Adapted in Alice’s Kitchen

A good buddy of ours gave us a bunch of peppers. Lucky me, I had just finished making a batch of quinoa for Quinoa Pizza Bites and so I had just the right amount of cooked quinoa left to stuff the peppers.  The original recipe didn’t call for cheese, but I had just a little left over in the fridge and I thought it made a yummy addition.  Serve this up with a side salad or fresh fruit when you want a budget-friendly dinner.

4 bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange) halved, seeds removed

2 cups cooked quinoa** (recipe follows)

½ cup salsa, plus more for serving

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoon chili powder

1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Kosher salt, to taste

1-2 cups sweet corn (canned, rinsed and drained or frozen, thawed)

½ cup mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt to the boiling water.  Place the peppers in the boiling water.  Turn down the heat to a simmer.  Prepare an ice bath.  Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender.  Remove the peppers from the hot water and add them to the ice bath.  Drain on a clean towel. 

Place the cooked quinoa, salsa, nutritional yeast (if using), spices, black beans, corn and cheese (if using) in a large bowl and mix well.  Stuff each of the peppers with the quinoa filling.  (You will have extra filling.)  Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray.  Add the extra filling to the bottom of the baking dish.  Place the stuffed peppers on top of the extra filling.  Cover with a piece of parchment paper and then foil.  (At this point, you can refrigerate the dish for a day before baking.)  Bake for 30 minutes, covered.  Remove the foil and parchment paper.  Increase the heat to 400F.  Bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the peppers are soft.  Serve with desired toppings or as is.  (Topping suggestions are avocado, fresh lime juice, hot sauce, cilantro, diced red onion.)

**How to Prepare Quinoa

Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze cooked quinoa. Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked.

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water for cooking

Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.

I've packed my EasyLunch Box with Quinoa Stuffed Peppers,
Easy Peasy Applesauce, and some black bean tortilla chips.