Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

I am beyond joyous to share this post with you. These stuffed peppers have become one of my favorite dishes to make and I have finally perfected my own recipe. Originally inspired by all the fresh produce at the farmers markets in New York City this past summer, I began with Smitten Kitchen’s recipe. Then I learned what worked best for me after a couple of times of experimenting, well, mostly just using what I had in my fridge.

Check out the bubbly, crispy melted cheese on top of this beauty of a stuffed pepper. Once you cut into the center, you’ll find a salty and spicy filling with tender veggies and more gooey cheese. Paired with a meat or protein, or simply enjoyed by themselves, these peppers work great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Next time I’d like to add a fried egg after cutting the pepper in half and top with some chives for color.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started. Like I said, I change-up this recipe frequently depending on what’s in my fridge. Since it’s a meatless dish, I like the quinoa because it really keeps me full.

Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized bell peppers (either red or green)
• 2 cups of cooked quinoa (couscous works too)
• Chicken broth or water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• several big handfuls of spinach
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 2 tablespoon feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons of grated mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook quinoa according to package.
2. Cut the top of the pepper off and remove seeds and pit. If the pepper is wobbly, slice a little bit of the bottom legs off to keep it flat. Place peppers standing up in baking dish. Roast the peppers for 15 minutes so they can soften.
3. While peppers are cooking, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, zucchini and squash. Cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are softened. Add spinach and sautee until wilted.
4. Scoop veggie mixture into a medium bowl. Add cooked quinoa, tomatoes, marinara, sriracha, feta and a sprinkle of the mozzarella. Mix together.
5. Once peppers are softened, remove from oven. Scoop veggie and quinoa mixture into peppers and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Broil for a few minutes once done cooking for an extra bubbly cheese topping. Enjoy!

The video above shows a little behind the scenes of the making of these peppers. While the peppers turned out perfect in the end, things certainly don’t always go smoothly. [Cue dropping plates.] Once these babies come out of the oven though, the gooey filled center makes everything right.

Love food. Love self. Love life.
Gabriela

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