Tex-Mex Inspired Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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I never liked stuffed peppers growing up (or so I thought).  Really when I was a kid, I thought I didn't like peppers at all. It turns out I was just eating bad peppers.

These are fantastic if you get good ingredients!

(Tastes better than they look! Not a pro photographer...see disclaimer!)

Notes:

Rice is one of my favorite things on this planet, so it's been the toughest things that I've had to limit in my diet during this journey.  Quinoa, while not something anyone would reasonably consider "low-carb", but it's got a lower glycemic index than rice, and has more fiber and protein.  If your meds have your diabetes well controlled, it should be a viable option for you.  This recipe also has corn in it, but not all that much per pepper and black beans have an even lower GI than the quinoa.  Everyone is different, foods will affect everyone's sugar differently, but this totally works for me without causing any crazy glucose spikes.

We ate a little after 5.  Went from 114 to 140, hard to beat that.

I mentioned above that I never liked peppers growing up..  Come to find out, it was just that I never liked bitter un-ripened green bell peppers that you get from the store.  I still don't.  However, I've found that I quite like a red or yellow bell pepper, or if you're a gardener, or lucky enough to have someone at your local farmer's market growing some more interesting varieties, then this recipe starts to get really good.

What I used here was some beautiful Cubanelle and some Albino Bull Nose peppers that came from the forementioned farmer's market.  Both were great, the Cubanelles were fantastic!  Just get something better than a green bell pepper and you'll be happy.

I prepared the quinoa ahead of time according to package directions and added the bullion cubes (or broth) instead of water.  (Just like rice, 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa, boil, turn down the heat, cover it, simmer until it’s done), I did it during my lunch break and put it in the fridge for use with the recipe for dinner.

This makes a lot of filling.  You could adjust it down for just a few peppers, but I like to make the full amount, and then vacuum seal and freeze the filling for use in the future.


Ingredients:


  • 1.5 Cups uncooked quinoa.  I like the multicolored kind just for the looks, but sometimes plain white is what's available, which is what I had today.
  • 3 cups water
  • 1.5 Knorr chicken bullion cubes, enough for the 3 cups of water.  A couple cans of broth would work also I’m sure, but I always have several varieties of Knorr cubes on hand since they're much better than other bullion cubes.
  • 1 Can Black Beans, drained
  • 1 Can Corn, drained
  • ½ large onion or 1 whole small onion, diced
  • 1 small can or rough equivalent of fresh diced tomatoes.  (I've used homemade freezer salsa for this also and it worked well.)
  • Minced garlic (maybe 2-3 small cloves worth, I had some in a jar so we used that)
  • Shredded cheese to cover.  A mix of Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Monterey Jack works well.  On this day I only had Mozzarella and it was fine.  (most recipes just call for mozzarella, but I really like the blend, and being Tex-Mex inspired, Monterey jack makes more sense to me. It would probably be good with queso fresco also.)
  • Peppers.  I had some garden fresh Cubanelles and some sweet bell peppers.  It would probably be good with just about anything except a store bought bitter green bell pepper.
  • Oil for sautéing the onions.  I use avocado oil for just about everything.
  • (Optional) If you like things spicy like me, mince up some jalapenos, fresnos, or whatever other spicy chile you like and add to the filling.  Or even some crushed red pepper to taste would bring the spice up a bit.

Spices I used to taste:  (I was going for a taco seasoning copycat since I didn’t have a package of taco seasoning.)

  • A little bit of Cayenne Pepper
  • Onion powder
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Salt  

Directions:


  • Cook the Quinoa: 
    Combine 1.5C Quinoa, 3C Water, 1.5 cubes of Knorr bullion (or 3 c chicken broth in place of the water/bulllion) Bring to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  I had to simmer for a couple more minutes without the lid since I had some water remaining.  Just cook it till it's done.
    • As I mentioned earlier, I did this during my lunch break so it was just a matter of assembling everything for dinner.

  • Prepare the filling:
    Saute the onions, add the garlic after a few minutes, after a few more minutes, add the beans, corn, tomatoes, spices, and quinoa, mix well and heat through.

  • Fill, top with cheese, and bake:
    Put enough water in a casserole dish to cover the bottom.  The peppers will release some water also, so don't put a ton in there.

    Cut the peppers in half and remove any seeds or membranes.  Fill with filling, and cover with your shredded cheese, bake uncovered in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

    If you're starting with cold filling, you might cover the dish with foil for the 35 minutes, to get it all heated through, and then remove the cover and give it another 10 minutes to finish and brown the cheese.

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