Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I know many people associate stuffed bell peppers with the soggy, meat and rice-filled green bell peppers of their youth, but I am one of the people that actually loves stuffed bell peppers in just about any form. Prior to excluding beef from our diets, I would make green bell peppers stuffed with lean ground beef, brown rice, red sauce with herbs; topped with cheddar cheese. This was one of my stand-by recipes that I knew would always make a tasty meal. After we stopped eating beef, I started to experiment with vegetarian and turkey variations of the recipe. I never however, thought about changing out the starch for something other than rice.

When I was reading the precursor for these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers, I was immediately drawn in because the author presents the recipe as a template to experiment with various ingredients and flavor combinations. Basically, you can choose the type of pepper, starch, vegetables, herbs and cheese you would like to use to create a dish that suits your palate. This breed of recipe is right up my alley because I now have an interest in experimenting with cooking. I was formerly afraid to take creative license with recipes but I am finally feeling a bit more confident.

Tonight, I chose to follow the recipe with the exception of a few small changes. Instead of using a fresh chile pepper, I used red pepper flakes in order to control the level of heat. I also chose to use small chunks of jack cheese instead of feta or goat cheese. We enjoy both feta and goat cheese but I wanted to use a less creamy, more melty (a new word for my culinary dictionary) cheese for the dish. I also used all organic ingredients with the exception of the jack cheese, which was all-natural but not organic. Recipe follows:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed in sieve; rice, pearl barley or instant couscous also work

4 orange, yellow or red bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise

1 cup water

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup shallots or red onion, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh (from 2 medium-sized ears) or frozen corn kernels

1 chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced

4 cups spinach, washed well, stemmed and roughly chopped; chard or kale can be used as well

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, basil or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or queso fresco, ricotta, goat cheese or no cheese at all)

1/2 lemon (optional finishing touch)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil for quinoa. (Water amounts will vary for starch options; prepare according to package instructions.) Add pinch of salt, then add quinoa. Stir, then cover and simmer over low heat until grains are tender and begin to look starry and luminescent, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Carefully remove seeds and membranes of peppers. In large saucepan, bring 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to lively simmer (not rolling boil). Add pepper halves (submerge peppers cut side first) and simmer until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove peppers and drain excess water. Transfer to baking dish for later.

In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add onion and chile pepper (I used 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes), and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add garlic, corn and greens, plus 2 tablespoons water, and cook until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Stir in herbs and quinoa and mix everything together until well combined. Taste for salt and pepper, and season as you see fit. Fill peppers with filling and dot with cheese, if using. Drizzle remaining oil over peppers and bake for about 20 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Serve hot or at room temperature, squeezing lemon over top, if you wish. Makes 4 servings.

We thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The filling was savory but it had a fresh, nutty quality. I would even cook the filling by itself as a full meal or side dish; that's how good it was. The corn that I used in the filling was purchased a few weeks ago at a local farm stand. It was fresh and sweet because I zipped it and froze it immediately after purchase. I chose to use cilantro instead of parsley, which worked out well. I loved the way it complimented the flavor of the peppers. Finally, we liked the jack cheese but I would definitely try a variation of the recipe with goat cheese. The McCoys dined with us last night and we decided collectively that my next experiment would be poblano peppers stuffed with bulgur wheat or brown rice, spinach, corn, cilantro and goat cheese; topped with homemade enchilada sauce. Doesn't this sound heavenly? Can't wait to try it!

I served the stuffed peppers with an organic kale salad that I dressed with a mixture of olive oil, red vinegar, garlic, kosher salt and pepper.

Recipe Source:

"The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook" by Kim O'Donnel

Pages 98-99