Quinoa is a favorite in my house. The name “keen-wah” sounds adventurous and exotic to Americans, but this “mother grain” is a staple in many other cultures. Quinoa is low on the glycemic index and contains a complete protein, making it a great addition to anyone’s diet. Since Quinoa is new to a lot of people (including me!) I was not sure how to integrate it into my cooking. I have made enchiladas with quinoa and even cookies with quinoa flakes. For this recipe, I cooked my red quinoa in my rice cooker! The rice cooker makes this recipe even more simple and weeknight friendly. I had a large number of assorted peppers to use, so this recipe serves eight.
I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.
Weekend Herb Blogging was started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen.
Weekend Herb Blogging gives bloggers a chance to share an interesting dish prepared with an herb, flower, vegetable, or plant.
In my dish, I paired kale with red quinoa. Kale is known for its anti-cancer properties.In order to optimize the nutrients found in kale, wait 10 minutes after cutting before eating or cooking and squeeze a little lemon juice on the leaves (find out more here).
If you would like to learn more about Weekend Herb Blogging, visit Kalyn’s Kitchen.
RED QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS
2 cups red quinoa (the whole box!)
4 cups water (you can sub broth for some of the water if you wish)
A few Tablespoons oil
2 green onions, both white and green parts diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 can Muir Glen diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
3 small fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 small fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1/2 of a jalapeno to 1 whole jalapeno, chopped (depending on preference) OPTIONAL
8 assorted bell peppers
1/2 cup cilantro
1 bunch kale, chopped (I like the taste and texture of kale in this dish, however, another leafy green could be sub’d in fine)
Squeeze of lime juice
AVOCADO TOPPING
2 avocados
juice of one lime
salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare your bell peppers- Hollow out, cut the membranes from the peppers, and make sure they can stand upright. Place them in a 9 x 13 dish. I do not like my bell peppers pre-cooked. If you do, boil them for a few minutes. I prefer the texture of the peppers to be crisp-tender (and overall prep to be easier) so I do not precook my bell peppers. Cook the red quinoa. This was a no-brainer for me because I used pre-rinsed red quinoa and threw mine in the rice cooker. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over med. heat. Cook the onions for two to three minutes. Add the salt. Add the kale and wilt (will take just a few minutes). Mix in the cilantro, jalapeno, basil, and oregano. Squeeze with lime juice. Remove from heat. Add the red quinoa, diced tomatoes and mix until combined. Fill eight peppers! Cover the 9 x 13 dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While the peppers are cooking, mash two avocados with a fork, squeeze lime juice over the top, and salt in a small bowl. Top with peppers with the avocado mixture or serve on the side.
Serves 8!
Thanks Cheryl and Cris for the nudge to post the recipe!
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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Vegetarian Recipes
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- Gluten Free Menu Swap- March 17, 2008
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I think you forgot to include the diced tomatoes in the directions for the recipe.
These look very good…and healthy! I have never tried Quinoa; does it have fiber in it?
Hey, This looks wonderful. Quick questions….What does quinoa taste like? Is it south beach friendly?
If I prefer softer peppers how should i prepare them.
Thanks this looks awesome!!
Hi Natalie
I’ve sort of thought of doing something along these lines, after eating some fabulous stuffed peppers in a restaurant. These look very more-ish
D
Great photo Natalie! I am curious- does the kale wilt more or get soggy from baking in the oven?
Thanks!
Karen
http://glutenfreefoodreviews.com
Caroline- I fixed it! Quinoa is an excellent source of fiber. Red Quinoa has an extra gram of fiber per 1/4 cup (dried) than traditional quinoa. It is a whole grain, so it is a good source. I think it was 5 g per 1/4 cup dried.
Jenifer- Since quinoa is a high protein whole grain and contains a lot of fiber, I think it would be excellent for South Beach Phase 2- obviously watching the amt of carbs/grain portions you were getting for the rest of the day. The cool thing about doing stuffed peppers is that you have built in portion control! Red Quinoa has a few less carbs per 1/4 cup (dried) and 1 more gram of fiber so I went with red quinoa over the traditional white quinoa. I would give quinoa a try! It is very healthy. I personally think it is kinda neutral, but maybe someone would be able to describe the flavor better than me….maybe slightly nuttly….hmmm…
Dianne- I think quinoa goes really well with stuffed peppers- they contain protein and still remain vegetarian! What flavors did the peppers in the restaurant have?
Karen- My kale was not soggy, which is one reason I chose it over spinach. I did not see much change in the kale from baking- I would still wilt the kale before adding it to the peppers.
Jenifer- Just dip each pepper in boiling water for a few minutes and that will do the trick- I would boil water in a big dutch oven so you can do a few at a time.
Wow, that looks amazing! My family loves traditional quinoa, but we have never tried the red. Does it taste the same? I may have to get some next time we hit Whole Foods.
Thanks!
Betsy
Yum! I just made some stuffed peppers the other day, but the filling was not very flavorful so I’ll have to try again very soon! I’m excited that it doesn’t look like you cut off much of the top of the pepper..I always get upset when I see that half the pepper is cut off to make stuffed peppers…what a waste of yummy pepper!
Silly, I know.
These look delish! I’ll have to keep the recipe for my next attempt.
These look amazing. For years I thought I could not eat quinoa. Now I am going to have to start expirementing. This looks like a good way to start!
Natalie this looks so tasty! Plus I learned about red quinoa, which I’ve never tasted before. Thanks for the recipe and for entering it in Weekend Herb Blogging.
I can never seem to get enough quinoa, I can’t wait to try this version.
–Catherine
http://www.aglutenfreeguide.com
I actually came by to post a late “Wow, yum!” comment, but your new chocolate torte distracted me
This also looks great, I love stuffed peppers! A few huge discount green peppers yesterday jumped out at me and we’re going to do mackerel stuffed peppers since we’re quinoa-ed out for now (too much quinoa and flax breakfast porridge for now)
Have a great one!
You are on a roll, keep them coming! I’ll be reading (and drooling), but busy with wedding and honeymoon stuff so I won’t be able to comment. Please know I am still stalking GF Mommy
Cindy
What a great post. I did know a little about quinoa, but I’ve learned even more from you. The stuffed peppers sound delicious.
Betsy- The taste is almost identical in my opinion. I buy the red if they have it since it just a little more fiber and a few less carbs.
Sarah- Stuffed peppers are tricky. I add a lot of jalapeno and fresh herbs to try and eliminate that issue.
Cindy- tee hee. I will be stalking you too. Have fun!
Kalyn- Blushing! Thanks so much! I liked this recipe with the avocado and lime- I am thinking I will get ambitious and make an avocado type salsa next time I make it.
Just wanted to add that the food article of the Boston Magazine (in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe) covered quinoa today. (May 18, 2008)
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2008/05/18/the_color_of_quinoa/
Second, love my quinoa cooked then sauted with apples with cinnamon, sugar and a little butter for breakfast or with pork chops.
Lastly, I follow Lorna Sass’s (Whole Grain Cookbook) recommendation to cook Quinoa like pasta with 6 cups of water to 1 cup of grain for 10-14 min. Just until the dot in the center disappears. This elimanates the “tails” and makes it less mushy.
LOVE YOUR BLOG.
Try this URL for recipes from the Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2008/05/18/runaway_grain/?page=full
These look wonderful. I like the fact that you could make this in stages if you wanted to – make quinoa one day, stuff peppers the next . Sometimes I have leftover cooked quinoa, and this would be a great way to use it up. Thanks!
I just made this the other night and it was amazing! I had never tried quinoa before but (before I went vegan) I used to love traditional stuffed peppers. IMO, this was even better! The quinoa cooked up fast and easy (I used veggie stock instead of water) and kale is absolutely delicious. I made 4 large peppers and ate them for 3 days straight and I’m still not tired of it.