Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is another of my go-to meals that I usually have all the ingredients for on hand. Something I love for a substantial lunch or for a light dinner. Now DH and the girlies are not huge fans of this as a meal, mostly because it very obviously contains vegetables, which they all try to avoid as much as possible.

If you haven't tried Quinoa yet you really need to. It is an amazing little grain that tastes and feels somewhat like a nutty whole grain cous cous. It is a wonder grain that contains high amounts of protein and is gluten free, this makes it an excellent addition to both vegetarian and low-carb style diets.

Ingredients:
4 Bell Peppers, I prefer green, mostly because they are the cheapest, use whatever you like.
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c chopped tomatoes. I use grape tomatoes, I think that they have the best flavor.
1 T Olive Oil
1 c. Quinoa (dry)
2 c vegetable stock (or any other stock or broth, just don't use plain water)
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1-2 T tomato paste

Optional:
1/2 t chili flakes
Fresh lime wedges
Fresh Cilantro
Cheese
Meat


Ok, Start by cutting off the top 1/3 of the bell peppers. Clean out the insides from both the top and the bottom. Place all of the larger bottoms in a microwave safe dish. Then chop the top part of the peppers (leaving the stems out) the onion and the tomatoes.

Place the bottoms of the Peppers into the microwave for 5-7 min until just soft and starting to cook.

Put the olive oil, garlic, peppers, and onions into a sauce pan and saute until the onions start to turn clear. Add the tomatoes. Saute for another 2-3 min.

Add the dry quinoa, stock, spices, and tomato paste to the pan and stir well. Let boil for 15 minutes. If there isn't enough liquid to fully cook the quinoa you can add more stock or some water as you go. You can tell when the quinoa is done by looking at it. It should turn mostly clear looking with a little white germ visible around the side. There shouldn't be any white polka dots of opaqueness in the middle.

When it is done you can stuff the peppers and serve immediately. As you can see I only has 2 peppers so I had some leftover stuffing. Adding cheese or meat on top makes it a more filling meal, adding the lime and cilantro really brightens up the heaviness of the tomato. These freeze well, I usually eat 1 and then have the others for lunch later.

Enjoy!

~DD