I grew up with an amazing mom for a cook. She is just great in the kitchen, and that is all there is to it. There were however two meals that i can remember not liking. One was split pea soup, which I actually like now, and the other was Mexican stuffed red peppers. We were driving home from a fantastic day of shopping, which I’ll recap tomorrow, and my mom and I were trying to determine what we should make for dinner. She suggested Mexican stuffed peppers, to which I instantly shuddered. Apparently, I still do not like them. She went on to say we could make them with quinoa instead of rice, so they would be Paleo. That did perk my ears up a bit, but I asked her if we could do something about the tomato sauce, because that is where the peppers lose me. Bleh. I love tomatoes, but for some reason the cooked tomato sauce and I don’t feel comfortable with each other. Anyways…we decided to get creative and come up with our own method of stuffing peppers. Can I just tell you they turned out AMAZING. Soooooo good. See for yourself.
Quinoa & Veggie Stuffed Red Peppers
Recipe serves 2
- Ingredients: 2 red bell peppers (washed and cleaned out with the tops removed), 1/2 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of cauliflower, 1/2 cup of yellow squash, 1/2 cup of zucchini (all cut into small pieces), 1/4-1/2 cup of part skim mozzarella, 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa, 1 cup of chicken broth, 3/4 tsp cumin, 2 tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp taco seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
- Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Place 2 red bell peppers in a microwave safe dish 1/2 full of water and covered. Microwave on high for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. While the peppers are cooking, combine quinoa, chicken broth, cumin, garlic, and onion powder in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and cover for 10-12 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked through. Fluff with a fork and recover, allowing it to continue to puff up. In another pan, combine cut up veggies and cover with water, bring to a boil and cover, cooking the vegetables until tender. When the peppers are done fully drain them and place them in a pan that can go into the oven. When the vegetables are done, drain them well, and combine together with the quinoa. Add the taco seasoning, salt, pepper, and cheese (Reserving some of the cheese to sprinkle on top). Stir to combine. You may want to add a bit more taco seasoning if need be to give it the right amount of flavor. Divide the vegetable and quinoa mixture between the two peppers and top with the remaining cheese. Place in the oven uncovered for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted. Enjoy!
We seriously DEVOURED these. They were so tasty. I couldn’t help but think of how I wished my sweet friend Megan D was here to enjoy them with me…she loves red peppers more than anyone I know! We’ll have to have a dinner party my darling!