Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
A festive centerpiece any time of year, colorful bell peppers filled with whole grains, beans and lots of dry-sautéed veggies make a super nutritious and delicious meal. You can stuff pepper halves or stuff ‘em whole (the tops with their stems make pretty cute covers).
Prep time 30 minutes Cook time 30 minutes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 cups red quinoa, rinsed well
3 cups no sodium veggie broth
2 15-ounce can no-sodium chickpeas, rinsed well
6-8 large red, yellow, orange bell peppers, halved, seeded OR with tops cut off and saved and seeded
3-4 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered, baked
2 small zucchini, medium dice
2 small yellow squash, medium dice
1 red onion, medium dice
½ cup of liquid of your choice to deglaze pan (water, white wine, broth, dry vermouth)
1 teaspoon dried leaves of tarragon, sage, or chervil, crumbled OR 2 teaspoons fresh herbs, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, rolled and cut chiffonade
1 small can fire-roasted tomatoes, small dice
Sea salt to taste (optional)
Black pepper corns to grind
Garnishes
Chives, finely sliced or other fresh tender herb leaves, chopped.
Directions
Rinse quinoa well to remove its bitter saponin coating. Combine broth and quinoa in a saucepan, simmer covered for 15 minutes or until quinoa seeds unfurl. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork. Cover and set aside.
Clean and prep peppers, leveling the bottom so they stand straight but slicing a very thin layer off the bottom or tops, if you’re stuffing halves.
In a bowl, mix tomatoes with thyme leaves gently, and distribute on a baking sheet, lined with parchment. Bake at 400°F/205°C for 15-20 minutes or until they dry out partially and begin to brown on their edges. Lower oven to 375°F/190°C.
In a hot skillet dry sauté onion until it begins to carmelize and adhere to pan. Deglaze with 1-2 teaspoons of liquid. Add herbs, garlic, and a minute later the squashes. Cook until tender but still intact.
In a large bowl, combine all stuffing ingredients: the quinoa, chickpeas, sautéed veggies, roasted tomatoes, basil. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt, if using, to taste.
In a rimmed baking pan, fill the peppers generously, top with a spoonful or two of the fire-roasted tomatoes, season to taste, replace stemmed pepper caps, if using. Cover with parchment, top with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil, increase temp to 400°F/205°C and bake for another 15 minutes or more, checking periodically, Remove when peppers are tooth tender but not overly soft.
Serve warm. Garnish with chopped chives or any fresh tender herb.