Quinoa Stuffed Peppers recipe
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If you asked me a half a year ago what “quinoa” – pronounced, “KEEN-wah” was, I would have given you some smart-ass remark. Like, that’s some sort of weirdo grain and it tastes like crap. Today…well, welcome to my world of learning how to cook with quinoa. And I have to admit, it’s pretty darn tasty!
You can substitute quinoa for the rice in just about any dish, which is great since it has more than twice the amount of protein than rice and is easily digested. I could rave about this tiny ancient grain, but will refrain and save that for another time.
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
• 6 large red bell peppers
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• 2 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 cup cooked quinoa*
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage –optional
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary–optional
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme–optional
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
*Note: You can choose the color quinoa you like; for this dish, I used red quinoa. Follow the instructions on the package and start the recipe with cooked quinoa.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Slice the bell peppers in half vertically, and remove the pulp and seeds from the inside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the bell peppers. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove the peppers from the water, and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the sirloin beef. Break up meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, and cook until it is no longer pink. Remove from skillet, and set aside.
4. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic to the same pan, and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Return the beef to the skillet, and add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for several minutes, until heated through.
6. Remove from the heat, and add the fresh herbs. (If you don’t have all the herbs noted above, at least shoot to have basil and Italian parsley)
7. Place the bell pepper halves on a baking dish, and fill each cavity with about 3/4 cup of the quinoa mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. If you have an oven with a broiler, at the end of the baking time sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the stuffed peppers, and broil for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. (You can do it in the oven too.)
You’re done – enjoy with a nice green salad!
we heartsters – are you a fan of quinoa? What are your favorite dishes?
These look great, @irene! Have you tried this recipe with ground turkey, too? Quinoa is so amazingly versatile–love using it in recipes!
It’s been awhile since I made these and now I’m really hungry and want to make them again!! You can use ground turkey for sure! I love using quinoa in so many recipes and am soooo glad to have found it. Sooo good for us too! :)
I’ve never eaten or cooked quinoa before, but have been excited about trying it. Your recipe looks delicious! Growing up, my mom always made stuffed peppers with green bell peppers. I bet the red are a whole lot sweeter! Thanks for the idea!
Agreed, @rachelshay! Red bell peppers are the best of the lot because of how sweet they are.. I love roasting them too! You will be surprised how easy and fast it is to make quinoa. Seasoned right, it’s down right delish!
@Irene, my tongue is hanging out of my mouth! I have love stuffed peppers since I was a child (so does my husband), and I’ve been dying to try quinoa (I read an article where the very lovely Rachel McAdams, all seventy pounds of her soaking wet, said she lives on this). I’m going to try this immediately. Thank you for the enticing recipe!
Yum! They look so pretty too @irene! Time to haul that quinoa out of the “emergency food” corner of my pantry. Thanks for the inspiration! :)
@heather and @gigi dearest, It’s such a delicate little “grain”.. But it’s really a seed… here’s some tid bits for you.
What the Experts Say about Quinoa:
Dr. Weil says, “Quinoa’s protein is complete, containing all nine essential amino acids – a rarity in the plant kingdom… a must-add to your culinary repertoire.”
Dole Nutrition Institute says, “Quinoa incorporates quite a lot of nutrients into tiny seeds. It contains more protein than most grains and offers a more evenly balanced array of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Quinoa is also higher in phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron than most grains.”
Wow–that is a powerful seed! Thanks MUCH for telling me about this. I’m definitely making this recipe and incorporating it into other foods!
I just made stuffed peppers last week and contemplated subbing quinoa for rice. In my case, I thought I was out of rice but knew I had quinoa in the cupboard. As it turned out, I did have a little rice left and I didn’t do the substitute. I substitute or add quinoa to everything from salads to meatballs. It really stretches meat so you don’t have to use so much or (in the case of salads) it adds extra nutrients while absorbing the flavors of dressings nd sauces. It’s a great texture, too. Great idea @irene!
Oddly enough, I made these a couple weeks back. I make mine a wee bit different. I use turkey, quinoa, tomatoes, diced jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, beef broth, and a little red wine for the filling. I also didn’t put cheese on top, though if I had any cheddar in my house, I would have wrecked that shiz :P
This is pretty much how I make my stuffed peppers! The only difference is that I add some spaghetti sauce on top. Quinoa is a staple around my house, and so much tastier than rice. Thanks for the meal inspiration!