Keen for Quinoa - A Recipe for Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers!

Lately I've been on the prowl for healthy and delicious recipes and stumbled upon this one from the Dietitians of Canada. It's for quinoa-stuffed peppers and it looks amazing! For those of you who are wondering what exactly quinoa is and how the heck to pronounce it, here is a little background information on this "super food" that has been getting quite a bit of attention lately. 

Quinoa pronounced "KEEN-wah", is a carbohydrate-rich food that looks similar to couscous and often gets mistaken for a grain or seed, when it is in fact a relative of leafy greens such as spinach. It has many properties that make it an excellent alternative to foods high in carbs, such as rice or pasta. The most notable one (especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan) is that it is a complete protein, which simply means it contains all 9 essential amino acids.  Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and essential amino acids are ones that our body cannot synthesize so we must get them from our diet. Lysine and tryptophan are examples of essential amino acids. Other examples of complete protein foods are soybeans, meat and buckwheat. Other notable properties of quinoa are it's high levels of magnesium, copper and manganese. It is also high in fibre, which many North Americans are lacking in their diets! Overall, quinoa is a great substitute for high carb foods like pasta and there are many great recipes out there that incorporate it. Here is the one I got from the Dietitians of Canada website.


Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)

12	small to medium red, yellow or orange bell peppers	12
2 cups	2% cottage cheese, drained	500 mL
1⁄3 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese	75 mL
1 cup	quinoa, rinsed	250 mL
2 tsp	canola oil extra-lean	10 mL
1 lb	ground beef	500 g
1 cup	chopped onion
1 cup	chopped mushrooms
2	cloves garlic, minced	2
1 1⁄2 cups	tomato sauce
1⁄2 cup	chopped drained canned water chestnuts
1⁄2 tsp	dried oregano
	dried basil
1⁄2 tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup	shredded Cheddar cheese	125 mL

1. Remove the stem and seeds from peppers. Make an opening at the top of each pepper large enough to allow you to fill the pepper. If peppers won’t sit upright, remove a small slice from the bottom, being sure not to create an opening. Set peppers aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and Parmesan; set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine quinoa and 2 cups (500 mL) water; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove cover and let cool for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, for about 8 minutes or until no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tsp (10 mL) fat from the pan.
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Return beef and accumulated juices to the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, water chestnuts, oregano, basil and pepper to taste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in quinoa and remove from heat.
6. Spoon quinoa mixture into peppers, filling them just less than halfway. Divide cottage cheese mixture evenly on top, then fill peppers to the top with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Place on greased baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven