Red Pepper and Quorn Bake

To say that we are on gut overload from our 4th of July weekend extravaganza would be the understatement of the year. We are officially entering an even healthier than usual eating kick in order to ease back in to our normal eating habits. As I have mentioned in prior posts, we are big fans of meat substitute products by a company called Quorn. I have been running out of new ideas for how to use their various products so I decided to see if they offer ideas on their website. Sure enough, they have several recipes on their site so I chose one to prepare for dinner tonight; Red Pepper and Quorn Bake.

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, chopped
2 red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package Quorn Grounds (ground meat substitute)
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cilantro
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic and red pepper 8-10 minutes or until peppers are softened. Add Quorn, oregano, cumin and cilantro. Saute 3-5 minutes longer. Add wine to pan. Bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add tomato sauce and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir cooked pasta into Quorn and vegetable mixture; spoon into 2 1/2 quart ovenproof casserole dish; set aside. Place butter, flour and milk in saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat; whisk in egg and cheese. Pour over Quorn mixture in casserole dish. Bake 35 minutes until topping is set and golden brown.

We give this recipe the official Lovejoy seal of approval. Although not the most gourmet dish I have prepared, the final result was wholesome, tasted good and left us feeling satisfied in a not-overly-full kind of way. I was a bit concerned that the two red peppers would be overbearing but it was actually the perfect amount of pepper in proportion to the other ingredients. I was planning on serving the dish with a mixed green salad but decided that we didn't need a side dish tonight. In retrospect, I would go ahead and prepare the salad because it would add a fresh, light element to the meal. All in all, a successful recipe from my friends at Quorn.