Quinoa-stuffed Bell peppers

Work has been busy, so it has been hard to keep up to date here, but thankfully, I got the chance to go home last weekend and recharge. Since I have been on such a quinoa kick, I decided to make some for my family. Along with my mom’s phenomenal ribs, I made a side of stuffed bell peppers!

They turned out very pretty, making for great appetizers for parties. Due to the baking of the peppers, the quinoa was a little toasty on top and we loved it. I was pleasantly surprised! Quinoa is very healthy for you and is considered a whole grain. I chose to try the peppers with tomato and basil quinoa.

Tomato Basil Quinoa
makes 3 bell peppers (6 halves)

Ingredients

½ onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 c quinoa
2 c water or vegetable broth
Handful of basil (we added a lot due to my dad’s love for basil)
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 bell peppers
Goat cheese (we didn’t have any, but it would have been delicious!)

Directions:

1. Chop up the onions and green onions and sautee until cooked

2. In the same pan as the onions, cook the quinoa with water or vegetable broth, according to instructions. (If I use water, I add a cube of chicken bouillon)

3. While the quinoa is cooking, clean and shell out the seeds of the bell peppers.

4. Cook the peppers in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. This lessens the time that you have to bake them after. After 5 minutes, set aside to cool.