Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Onions, Garlic, Spinach, and Tomatoes

This is a variation of http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/quinoa-stuffed-peppers-2/. I didn't have/use celery, carrots, cheese and black beans. Also, I incorporated less than the listed package of spinach and diced tomatoes because I used what we had leftover from prior cooking. The bell peppers were not cut lengthwise, but they were still cut in half. Additionally, I used a lot more quinoa than listed in the recipe since we had plenty of those.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
  • 1/2 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 4 large bell peppers, halved, ribs removed

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

Stir in quinoa and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Fill each bell pepper half with heaping of quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates.

Serve with sriracha for vegetarian goodness.

I think that this is a great meal for those looking to lose weight because of the high protein and fiber content of quinoa. Not to mention that it's meatless to the delight of vegetarians. If I had the proper amounts, I would have put in more spinach and tomatoes for vitamins and nutrients. But sadly, I could only use what I had.