BBQ Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

A friend of mine inspired me to make these peppers last night, as she asked for recommendations for a quick weeknight meal. Her husband is vegetarian and also doesn’t eat dairy, so she needed suggestions that would fit the bill. These were so delicious and I had so much leftover filling to freeze for an even quicker meal next time! We are extreme cheese people in my household, so we “cheese-ified” them just before serving!

 

2 Large Peppers tops removed and seeds removed.  Slice them in half, top to bottom. Cut the leftover pepper from around the stems and throw in the filling mixture (about 2 TBS)

1 Cup Quinoa

2 Cups Broth or Water

1 Can of Baked Beans ( I usually use black beans but didn’t have any on hand. If NOT using baked beans, it would be good to add 1-2 TBS of BBQ  for some  smokey sweetness.

1 cup Tomato Sauce of your choice

1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cups Spinach

1 Cup Mushrooms ( I used Portabella this time)

2 Cloves of Garlic minced

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Shredded Cheese for topping (Optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare quinoa according to box instructions. If you bought it in bulk, Place 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups broth or water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 12 minutes until the liquid has absorbed.  Add a bit of sea salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat, add garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the chopped pepper from around the stems, mushrooms, beans Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Cook for five minutes until heated through and mixture begins to bubble. Add spinach and quinoa stir to combine. once the spinach is wilted, Remove mixture from heat.

Place the peppers in a baking dish and stuff with the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Add cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking if desired.

* We don’t pre-cook our peppers because we like them a bit firm. If you like them soft, you can steam them ahead of time, and when you go to cook them stuffed, cut down the time to 10-15 minutes.

Buon Apettito!

~SARA~ Fresh Foodie Mama