Southwestern Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Food is great, we know that.  But think about how much more wonderful it becomes once it's stuffed with some other element of deliciousness.  Pizza? Good.  Stuffed crust?  Even better.  French toast? Probably my favorite breakfast food.  Stuffed French toast?  Oh my.  Chicken? Fine. But Chicken Cordon Bleu? Mmmmm...  I could go on and on.

Considering the recent heat wave I'm riding out, I've been craving something with a little kick.  I don't know why, but I always want Mexican food or something spicy when it's hot out.  Enter my idea to make stuffed peppers for dinner. 

Not only is this an easy meal, it's packed with flavor AND nutrition. Unlike most stuffed peppers which rely principally on ground beef or some other meat, I've opted to use quinoa for a vegetarian-based filling.   I feel like meat-based stuffed peppers are super heavy, and well...filling.  Heavy was something I definitely wanted to avoid with the high temperatures outside.  I then added all of my favorite flavors of the southwest: black beans, diced peppers, onion, roasted corn, lime, and topped it all off with some tequila and smokiness. **The version I prepared for this recipe also utilized some leftover rotisserie chicken from a couple days ago that I shredded.  It was a great addition, but absolutely not a necessity in preparing this dinner.**

Don't be discouraged by the list of ingredients; this recipe can be easily modified to fit your needs and palette. Also, unless you're extremely sensitive to spice, don't shy away from the amounts used.  The method in which this is prepared, along with the combination of cheese and sour cream, keeps the spicy levels down.  You'll get the flavor without getting the burn!

You'll see that this recipe calls for 6 red bell peppers.  As you can tell from my pictures, I used 4:  two red, one yellow, one orange.  Well, I ran out of red but no worries, since any color pepper works just fine.  It's all a matter of preference and presentation.  Also, the recipe does make enough filling for 6 peppers.  It's not that I ran out of peppers altogether.  I just really like saving the extra filling and re-using it later on for tacos or as a topping on nachos.  :-)

I hope you find this dish to be a fun option for a hot summer day.  To really savor the meal, try pairing it with a margarita or some sangria!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red quinoa: rinsed, drained, and patted dry
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (or leave in the seeds for a little extra spice)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. gold tequila
• 1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke

• 1/2 cup low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup roasted corn
• 1/3 cup packed cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. light sour cream
• 4 oz. queso fresco, crumbled (finely shredded cheddar cheese/ Mexican cheese blend is another option)
• 4 oz. shredded chicken (optional)
• 2 tsp. Chipotle flavored hot sauce (optional - I used Chipotle Tabasco)
• 6 large red bell peppers

Directions:

1.  While the quinoa is draining, over medium heat, add olive oil to a large frying pan with a lid.  Add the garlic, onion, jalapenos, and chopped bell pepper.  Stir until coated in the oil, and allow to soften for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the quinoa and toss gently to evenly mix.  Season the quinoa with the lime zest, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and sea salt.  Stir gently so that the seasonings are evenly distributed and allow the quinoa to lightly brown, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the lime juice and then the tequila.  Stir quickly so that all of the tequila mixes with the quinoa before the alcohol cooks out.  Add the broth and the liquid smoke. Stir the pan a couple of times so that everything is well mixed.  Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan with the lid and let cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.

3.  In the mean time, add the black beans, corn, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, plus the chicken and hot sauce (if using) to a large heatproof bowl.  **Roasting the corn isn't necessary, but it adds a little extra flavor.  If roasting, carefully place an ear of corn over an open flame or grill, or place frozen/canned corn in the oven and lightly bake at  ̊350 F until jusy slightly browned.**

4.  When the quinoa is done cooking, remove the lid.  Lightly fluff with a fork and keep on low heat until all the excess liquid has evaporated.  At this point, position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 375 ̊ F. 

5.  While the quinoa is still hot, add it to the mixing bowl.  Gently stir all of the ingredients until well mixed, taking care not to mash the beans or corn.  The cheese will begin to melt and the filling will appear somewhat creamy.

6.  Carefully cut around the tops of the red bell peppers and pull off the top.  Remove any large excess portions of white from the inside of the pepper.  Lay the removed top on its side and cut off the seedy part.  Gently use a spoon to stuff the pepper, pressing down to ensure the filling is evenly packed.  Place the top of the pepper back on.  Transfer to the casserole dish.  Repeat for all peppers.

7.  Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake until the peppers are very soft and slightly charred on top, about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.  Serve with tongs as peppers will still be very hot.