Mushroom, Cheddar and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:1 cup Quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves gari, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
3 strips bacon*, cooked, sliced into slim bits
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 tsp dry red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
corse salt (to taste)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 large peppers**, capped + ready to stuff
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (reserved for topping)
Preparation:
Pre-cook quinoa: In medium pot, over high heat, bring 2 cups chicken broth to boil, stir in Quinoa. Cover pot, reduce heat to heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Fluff up quinoa with fork and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic, onion, and mushrooms in butter for 3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add quinoa, celery, red pepper flakes, black pepper, bacon and tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Turn heat off, set aside to cool. When cool, stir in grated cheese.***
Spoon the cooked quinoa mixture into the cored peppers and place stuffed side up into a high rimmed caserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top of each stuffed pepper. Pour 1 cup water to cover bottom of caserole dish with stuffed peppers, and place into oven to cook for 30 minutes.
* Turkey bacon can be used, slice up first and sautee
** Green, yellow, orange or red peppers can be used.
*** Stuffing mixture can be prepared in advance and/or refrigerated overnight.
Note: Quinoa stuffing can also be used to stuff pork chops or pork loin.
