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QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

I love the idea of a vegetable as a receptacle. Who needs a bowl when you can use a pepper, or an acorn squash….or a mushroom?! Ok, you get the idea. Avoid washing another bowl and grab a veggie.

This is adapted from a recipe from the Whole Foods Market Cookbook. On Thanksgiving, bell peppers stuffed with celery and carrot studded quinoa was a good replacement for a stuffed turkey on my table. This recipe is not only for holiday dinners though. Give it a try any day you want to lighten your dishwashing load…

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QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 large red peppers halved and seeded
  • 2 large green peppers halved and seeded
  • Vegetable oil or olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Stuffing

  • 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion finely diced
  • 1 carrot finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery finely diced
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/8 cup finely chopped oregano
  • 1/8 cup finely chopped basil
  • sea salt to taste
  • avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

  2. Spray pepper halves with oil and season with salt and cayenne pepper. place peppers on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until softened a little.

  3. Heat olive oil in pan, and sauté onion, carrot, celery, pumpkin seeds, garlic, cumin, chili powder for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are softened and browned. Add cooked quinoa, oregano, and basil to vegetables, and continue to sauté for 1 more minute. Salt to taste. 

  4. Fill each pepper half with even amounts of filling, and place in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.