quinoa stuffed peppers.

I love quinoa, and am always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet. These stuffed peppers are an Italian inspired twist on the classic, made meatless!

This comes from the first Skinnytaste cookbook and while I made very minor tweaks, it is essentially the same recipe. At under 190 calories per one pepper half, you can eat two (I usually do!), and it’s under 400 calories with a great protein heat in this meatless main. Yum!

I highly recommend sautéing the tomatoes with the garlic and spices for five minutes at minimum; it’s essential for developing flavor.

I was initially planning on making these and then freezing them, but an icy snow storm came through and thwarted my plans one evening so I ate them the same day I cooked them. If freezing, I would cool completely after cooking, wrap each half with plastic wrap, and then freeze in a freezer safe container. Enjoy!

quinoa stuffed peppers.
barely adapted from Skinnytaste.

ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth or water
non stick cooking spray/teaspoon of olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1 ounce shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (optional)

peppers:
2 bell peppers, halved and seeded
1/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 ounce shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (optional)
1/3 cup vegetable broth or water

directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse quinoa thoroughly. Bring water/vegetable stock and quinoa to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for fifteen minutes and then remove from heat. Stand, covered for 3-5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

In a large skillet or sauce pan, spray with nonstick cooking spray or drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic for a minute, being careful not to burn. Add 3/4 cup tomatoes, basil, and salt and cook for five minutes. Add in chopped baby spinach, parmesan and mozzarella and turn off the heat. Stir frequently to combine.

Add quinoa and mix well.

In a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, add in halved bell peppers (seeded and stemmed). Add approximately 1/2 cup of mixture to each pepper and then top evenly with remaining crushed tomatoes, parmesan and mozzarella and add 1/3 cup water/broth to the casserole dish.

Cover casserole with lid or foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove lid, and broil for 1-2 minutes until mozzarella is bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve hot or warm. Serves 2-4.

*Please use local/organic ingredients wherever possible*