Recipe :: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers:

As a kid, one of our family’s stand-by dinners was stuffed bell peppers. My mom learned how to make them from my dad who learned from his ma so this is a true family recipe passed down not by written recipe but by lessons in the kitchen. The peppers were green and stuffed with a ground beef, onion, white rice and chili powder concoction. While the stuffing itself was tasty, especially because of the grated cheddar on top, the bell pepper for me was merely a throw away container. In typical picky eater fashion, I wouldn’t touch it. The meal wasn’t complete if there wasn’t a side of Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese. Don’t ask me why we needed two starches, but that was the menu. I was especially pleased if there were no crispy, brown parts on the macaroni. Today, we adults would relish those bits, so it just goes to show how our taste buds change over time. I’m not giving up hope for my own picky eaters that they one day become lovers of crispy, brown bits, too.

I thought I would update this 1970s family recipe for the health conscious parents of today and what’s great is it’s totally customizable. The recipe works great with the golden child of grains – quinoa – but if that’s not your thing, rice is also a fine substitute. The night I made this dish, I also made some using mini pasta wheels with the hopes that my four year old wouldn’t end up eating a banana for dinner yet again. He managed to eat some, just not the crispy, brown bits.

Ingredients:

6 red bell peppers with wide bottoms

¾ pound ground dark meat turkey (this is much more flavorful than white meat)

2 zucchini, diced small

1 large shallot, finely chopped

½ – ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ – ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups cooked quinoa

¼ cup basil, chiffonaded

1-1 1/2  cups of your favorite pasta sauce

1 cup pearl mozzarella balls (shredded mozzarella will work just fine)

salt & pepper

parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare bell peppers by slicing off tops and removing inner core and ribs. When water is boiling, submerge peppers into water and par-boil for about 12 minutes. Transfer to an oiled baking dish.  Peppers should be standing up straight as they will be filled with the quinoa mixture.

In a separate saucepan, begin quinoa. (Alternatively, you could use leftover or do this step earlier in the day). This is how I cook my quinoa for any dish: Bring two cups of water to a boil. Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. When water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon bouillon and stir. (My favorite is the organic Better Than Bouillon.) Add the quinoa, stir, cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer for 14 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand about 5 minutes covered to absorb any extra water.

Meanwhile, in a medium size pan, heat some olive oil and sauté the zucchini with the shallots until they have “sweated”. Add ground turkey and brown. If your turkey has too much liquid, drain some out before adding your seasonings. When turkey is almost cooked, add the paprika and garlic powder and cook about 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.

After the turkey mixture has cooled a bit, add 2 cups of cooked quinoa and your favorite pasta sauce to moisten. I used about 1 cup as I didn’t want mine too saucy. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add basil and mozzarella. Combine and then stuff your peppers. If you like more cheese you can layer it in with the stuffing mixture. Top with more mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Broil the last couple minutes so the tops get those crispy, brown bits.