Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

---

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Halle Cottis
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 pepper halves 1x
• Category: main dish
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: american

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Here is a delicious grain free and gluten free stuffed pepper recipe.

 

---

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

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Halve peppers lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and immerse peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle the inside of the pepper with some salt.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, heat turkey and onions till onions are tender and meat is cooked (about 5 minutes).
5. Stir in uncooked quinoa, water, undrained tomatoes and chilies, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 18 minutes.
6. Remove lid and add 1/4 cup raw cheese.
7. Fill peppers with meat mixture and put in an 8x8x2 pan and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese (1/4 cup) and put back into the oven for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Nutrition Info: Calories: 348.0 Fat: 16.4g Carbohydrates: 20.1g Protein: 29.5g

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 halve