Vegetable and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are filled with a quickly cooked quinoa and vegetable mixture, topped with feta, and baked in a covered dish so the peppers soften within the 30-minute series limit. The finished dish has tender pepper walls, a cohesive grain-and-vegetable filling, and a fresh herb finish.

By Julienne

Cook time: 17 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 170 g quinoa rinsed
• 400 ml vegetable broth
• 30 ml water
• 15 ml olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion small dice
• 2 g kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium zucchini small dice
• 1 medium red bell pepper small dice
• 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 150 g cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 15 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 15 g parsley chopped
• 3 g kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 80 g feta cheese crumbled
• 4 large bell peppers tops removed, seeds and membranes discarded
• 15 ml olive oil
• 20 g feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes. The quinoa is fluffy and the germ ring is visible.
2. While the quinoa cooks, heat 15 ml of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion with 2 g of the salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, diced red bell pepper, and 0.5 tsp of the black pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened and the moisture has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. The vegetables are glossy, softened, and the pan looks nearly dry.
3. Stir the cooked quinoa into the skillet with the cherry tomatoes, oregano, cumin, lemon juice, parsley, remaining salt, remaining black pepper, and 80 g of the feta. Mix until evenly combined and cohesive. The filling holds together and looks lightly creamy from the feta.
4. Stand the bell peppers upright in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Divide the filling evenly among them, packing it in firmly but not tightly. Drizzle the remaining 15 ml of olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle with the remaining feta. The peppers are filled to the top and ready to bake.
5. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 2 minutes more, until the pepper walls are tender enough to cut with a fork and the tops are hot with light browning at the edges. A fork slides easily through the pepper walls and the filling is steaming hot.
6. Let the peppers rest for 2 minutes before serving. Steam settles and the filling holds its shape when lifted.