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Last night I made these delicious grain free and gluten free stuffed peppers that were absolutely wonderful. I used quinoa as my filler instead of the traditional rice that is typically used when making stuffed peppers. A lot of people refer to quinoa as a grain, but technically quinoa is not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of it’s cooking characteristics. The name comes from the Greek words, chen (a goose) and pous (a foot). This is due to a resemblance of the leaves of the plant to the webbed foot of a goose. The leaves are lobed or toothed and often triangular in shape. The succulent like plant grows from 4 to 6 feet high and has many angular branches. The flower heads are branched and when in seed looks much like millet, with large clusters of seeds at the end of a stalk. The plant will grow in a variety of conditions but favors a cool, arid climate and higher elevations. Beets, spinach, Swiss chard, and lamb’s quarters are all relatives of quinoa.
I grew quinoa this past summer in my garden. To learn how to grow your own quinoa, you can read my gardening article here.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 348.0 Fat: 16.4g Carbohydrates: 20.1g Protein: 29.5g
Ingredients
- 2 large peppers
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 small onion, diced
- 14.5 oz can organic fire roasted tomatoes and green chilies (can use fresh if desired)
- 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup raw cheese of choice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp unrefined sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Halve peppers lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and immerse peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and sprinkle the inside of the pepper with some salt.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat turkey and onions till onions are tender and meat is cooked (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in uncooked quinoa, water, undrained tomatoes and chilies, worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 18 minutes.
- Remove lid and add 1/4 cup raw cheese.
- Fill peppers with meat mixture and put in a 8x8x2 pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese (1/4 cup) and put back into oven for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
This post was shared on The Hearth and Soul Hop, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Monday Mania, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Homestead Barn Hop,Hearth & Soul, Traditional Tuesdays, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy 2day
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