I mean can you even have a vegetarian food blog without having a recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers?! They are so flipping easy to make and the perfect recipe for using up peppers that are about to turn. Food waste is not cool! Of course I've included feta in the recipe because at this stage, I can freely admit to having a feta problem. It just makes everything better. However, if you want to make this recipe completely plant based, just swap in sliced avocado for the feta cheese. They taste just as good.
So this week, I'm rectifying this whole lack of Qunioan Stuffed Peppers on the blog with today's post. When I make stuffed peppers, I usually go for one of two stuffing varities. A black bean chilli concoction which is really rather good but very filling. Or this quinoa and feta combo which is just as tasty but a tad lighter. Faced with this choice, yesterday evening, I went for the second option. I'd enjoyed a dreamy risotto for lunch (second helpings included) so all the lightness was needed. I served them with a side of spinach leaves, drizzled in balsamic with a few toasted pine nuts on top.
By the by, if there is any vegetable that you would like to see more of on the blog recipes. Or even one that you like the sound of but aren't too sure how to cook it, please do let me know in the comments below or drop me an email. The Honest Project recipes are all about vegetables (well the mains anyhow) and I'm pretty sure I've experimented with nearly every vegetable going (please don't test me on this) so I would only be delighted to help making cooking with vegetables easier for you. In the meantime, scroll on for the recipe for my lighter version of Quinoa Stuffed Peppers xx
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
(serves 4)
Ingredients
4 red of yellow peppers
1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small green chillis, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of half a lemon
Small nunch of parsley
Small bunch of mint
75g mint, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 5 / 190C. Cut the peppers in half lengthlyways and remove the seeds and any white flesh. Place the peppers cut side down on a large baking tray leaving a little space between each pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, before turning and roasting for a further 10 minutes.
While the peppers are in the oven, cook the quinoa. Rinse it well in a fine sieve before placing it in a medium size saucepan with a cup and a half of boiling water. Bring back to a boil before reducing the heat and allowing to simmer for approximately 15 minutes. The quinoa whould be fluffy and have absorbed most of the water. Drain off any excess remaining water.
In a separate pot, heat the olive oil over a low to medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and green chilli and cook for a further two minutes before adding the ground cumin. Stir well and cook for a further minute.
Minx the oion mixture through the cooked quinoa and add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir well. Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Spoon into each of the pepper halves, evenly distributing it among all eight halves. Top with crumbled feta and return the peppers to the oven for another ten minutes.
To serve, top with freshly chopped mint and parsley.
