Quinoa is a gluten-free, South American native grain which contains saponins, a type of chemical compound with certain properties that may help support the inhibition of tumor growth. , Quinoa is also high in protein, and is great accompaniment for this medley of hearty vegetables, as a stuffing.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 4 uniform red bell peppers
- 8 oz ground, 90% lean, turkey breast meat (Optional, included in nutrition information below)
- 1 onion (any color you like)
- 1 carrot
- 1 rib celery
- 5-7 crimini mushrooms (any mushrooms work here)
- 2 zucchini
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. chopped chives
- 2 tsp. chopped parsley
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Dash of cracked black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and scoop out the central section holding the ribs and the seeds, keeping the pepper intact. Place all four peppers cut side down, on a lined baking sheet and into the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Then remove from oven and let cool to the touch.
- If using turkey, brown it in a large sauté pan breaking into small pieces with a spatula. Then dice all of the vegetables and cook them in the order listed until all are soft but not mushy. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Add the chopped herbs and cooked quinoa. Add the olive oil and toss together well.
- Flip the peppers over and sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Divide the quinoa mixture into 4 portions and fill each pepper with a portion, cupping your hand to mound some filling on top if it doesn’t fit evenly. Place the peppers back on the baking sheet and into the oven again at 400 for about 10-15 minutes until the peppers are quite soft and the filling has browned a bit on top. Serve hot!
Yields 4 servings
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 366; Total Fat 7g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrate 51g; Fiber 11g; Protein 30g; Sodium 357mg
Recipe adapted from: Alison Mountford of Square Meals SF