I was in the mood for stuffed peppers without meat. After browsing several yummy-looking versions, I tried out this one but tweaked it of course... my version makes the peppers crunchier. Enjoy!
Bell Peppers with Quinoa, Black Beans and Chickpeas
(adapted slightly from here)
2 cups water (or veggie broth for more taste)
1 cup quinoa
1 tsp garlic/herb mixture or garlic powder (opt)
8 bell peppers
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)
5 Tbsp olive oil (separate – 3 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp)
8 scallions, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & ribs removed, diced
1 tsp basil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder (or more if you like a little spicier)
½ tsp chipotle flakes (optional)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
½ cup cilantro (separate – ¼ cup + ¼ cup)
1-2 Avocado, chopped (or homemade guacamole)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring 2 cups water,1 cup quinoa and 1 tsp garlic/herb mixture to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer, cover & cook about 12-15 min until water is absorbed. Remove pan from heat & set aside. While quinoa is cooking, slice off tops of peppers and take out seeds & ribs. (save tops for another use). Spray a 9” x 12” pan with cooking oil and put peppers into pan. (if pepper doesn’t stand up flat, cut off just a little of the bottom so that it stands flat)
In small skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add scallions, jalapeno & spices and sauté about 1 min, stirring.
Add scallion mixture and quinoa to bowl along with beans, chickpeas, tomatoes and ¼ cilantro. Mix well. Stuff peppers. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil on top. Bake about 30 min. Increase heat to 400 F and bake for another 15-20 min or until bell pepper is a little softer.
Serve with remaining cilantro & avocado (or guacamole).
Thank you Ellen for this recipe. I am on a ten day juicing/smoothie detox fast,but will be making this soon.
Posted by: Tracey | August 07, 2012 at 09:14 AM
Looks delicious and I love that it is meat free! Thank you
Posted by: swanski | August 07, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Thanks for the recipe....Marianne is crazy about red peppers so I may give this a try with her in mind!
Posted by: Kristen | August 07, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Looks delish! We love stuffing peppers here, such an easy, but filling dinner.
Posted by: Kim | August 07, 2012 at 08:21 PM
Ellen, the food you cook is amazing. Yum!
Posted by: Greer | August 08, 2012 at 12:12 AM
yummmy!
Posted by: steph | August 09, 2012 at 10:31 PM
i'm going to make this tomorrow, it looks just delicious. thank you for the recipe ellen, i feel like i've gotten kind of complacent over cooking this summer.
Posted by: lori | August 14, 2012 at 01:27 AM
Looks delicious, we're always looking for good meat-free dinners. Thanks!
Posted by: Lori | September 03, 2012 at 12:29 AM
Just a quick hello. Missing you in your space and I hope you and your family are well!
Posted by: Katie | September 27, 2012 at 08:26 PM