What's For Dinner? Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Written By: Angelie Sood

I love to meal prep and one of the things I usually make each week is a batch of a healthy grain. I then use the grains in recipes (soups or in bowls) through the week! Quinoa is a versatile and healthy, protein-rich grain that makes it into my rotation quite often.

You can use it in so many different ways but I love adding a little spice to make it a little more flavourful and then pairing it with some bell peppers for a delicious and vegetarian main dish.

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked quinoa

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup of corn kernels (canned or frozen and rinsed)

½ cup of black beans (cooked and rinsed)

½ red bell pepper (chopped)

1 tbsp of chili powder

½ tsp of cumin seeds

¼ tsp of chili flakes

Salt to taste

2 large red bell peppers (halved and removed the seeds/membrane)

3 tbsp salsa

1 tbsp canola oil

Cilantro, avocado, grated cheese, salsa and sour cream to garnish

Instructions

1 PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the red peppers, cut side up, on baking sheet. Place on middle rack for 10 minutes to soften.

2 SAUTE onion in oil on medium heat until they are soft and transparent. Add cumin seeds, chili flakes and chili powder and cook for a few minutes.

3 STIR in the chopped red pepper and cook until soft. Then add the beans and corn. Stir to coat them in the spice mixture.

4 ADD salsa and combine the mixture. Then add the quinoa in small amounts, stirring to coat the grains in the spices and sauce. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through, adding water as needed to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pan.

5 REMOVE the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Stuff the peppers with the Mexican Quinoa and top with some grated cheddar cheese.

6 BAKE for 10 minutes more or until cheese has melted.

7 GARNISH with cilantro, avocado and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Angelie is a Food and Lifestyle Blogger at www.lifestylefile.ca @angeliesood