CONFETTI QUINOA STUFFED PEPPERS

Casseroles|Gluten-free|Vegetarian

Ingredients

6 large yellow, red, and green bell peppers (any combination)

1 cup raw quinoa

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 large leek, chopped white and light green parts (rinse any debris off in cold water)

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

7 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and tops sliced cross-wise

1 small zucchini, sliced into ¼” half moons

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, packed

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

8 ounce goat cheese crumbled

2 cups Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions

Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the stems and seeds, reserving the edible part from the lid. Chop these tops into a ½ dice and set aside.

Place pepper ‘cups’ in a large stock pot and cover with salted water. Boil until tender when pierced with a fork. Reserve 2 cups of the ‘pepper water’. Remove peppers from pan and cool and drain, upside down, on paper towels.

Cook 1 cup raw quinoa in the reserved 2 cups of stock until it comes to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all the moisture is absorbed, about 15 minutes. The quinoa will be translucent in color.

Heat olive and butter in large deep skillet. Add the reserved chopped peppers, leeks, and garlic to the pan. Cook until tender and then add mushrooms and zucchini to skillet. Continue to cook until the onions and mushrooms are lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 6-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add quinoa, spinach, corn, basil, salt and black pepper to the pan and toss to mix. Cook for another 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat. Add crumbled goat cheese and toss gently. Scoop the mixture into the peppers to fill each shell. Sprinkle shredded Swiss over the top of peppers.

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned. Garnish with more fresh chopped basil and serve. Delish and sooo good for you too!

These are delicious as a vegetarian dish, but I also add cooked salmon or chicken sometimes which is fabulous.