"You really like stuffed peppers."

This is what my boyfriend said to me when he realized I had already done a post on stuffed red peppers. It's true: I do really like stuffed peppers. So I'm sharing another recipe with you. This time, Mexican inspired.

I have enjoyed the challenge I have taken up to find healthy yet fulfilling meals to make for myself and my boyfriend. The added bonus to this challenge is trying to come up with meals that are both meat-eater and vegetarian friendly, since my boyfriend eats meat but I don't. I appreciate that he's supporting me on my quest to eat more healthfully and he has even told me he has been feeling better since we have started this (as am I!). That is great incentive to keep it up!

This stuffed red pepper recipe meets every item on my healthy-eating check list: light, new, protein-rich, flavorful, and satisfying. Doesn't get much better than that!

I have never cooked with quinoa before and it is something that I have been wanting to try for a while now. They have cooked quinoa at the salad bar at Whole Foods and I always put it on my salad, so I am familiar with it. I love the crunch that this supposed "superfood" adds and the fact that it pretty much takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Not to mention it has a plethora of health benefits including being high in protein, fiber, & calcium.  I am trying to stay away from starchy rice and pasta since they don't really add any nutritional value to my diet, so I have decided that quinoa is the perfect substitute. As I discovered while making this meal, quinoa is so super easy to prepare, it would be lazy not to use it.

I made this dish both ways - meaty as well as vegetarian, but you could just do one version and still make two servings by doubling up the ingredients.

On a side note, I have a new little helper in the kitchen, an assistant sous chef (my boyfriend is the original sous chef!), if you will. I caught this photo while I was whipping up this recipe:

She loves to watch me cook! So sweet.

Alright, enough yackin'.  Let's get cookin'!

Mexican-Style Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Chunky Quac Topper

Servings: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 35 minutes

*Note: I made extra quinoa, meat, and beans/corn. It's always good to have leftovers. The meat & beans/corn I'm using for tacos and the quinoa I will add to salads and maybe even breakfast smoothies.

Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 can black beans
1 can sweet corn kernels
2 packets taco seasoning
2 teaspoons EVOO
1/3 sweet onion, diced
1/4 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (FCBP)
1 pound ground turkey
1 avocado, cubed
5 grape tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon cilantro, minced
2 lime slices

Set your oven to broil.

Slice each of the red bell peppers in half from the stem down and remove any ribs and seeds.

Put the four halves face up on the top rack of the oven.

Let them cook for five minutes. Remove them when they are slightly softened and blackened around the edges.

Turn the oven off of broil and onto bake. Preheat to 350 degrees.

Place a medium sized saucepan on the stove over high heat.  Add the two cups of water and one cup of dry quinoa. 

Follow the directions on the box to cook your quinoa. Mine said to bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer and let cook for 15 minutes until softened.

While the quinoa is cooking, start cooking the black beans and corn. Place the corn and black beans in a medium sized saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Add half of one of the packets of taco seasoning to the corn and black beans and stir to mix it in. Let simmer while you prepare the rest of the food and stir frequently.

Next, start sautéing your vegetables.  Place the diced onion and bell peppers in a large skillet over medium heat along with one tablespoon of EVOO, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon FCBP.

Cook for about five minutes until the onions and peppers are softened. Add the zucchini and 1/4 of the taco seasoning packet. Squeeze one of the lime wedges over the mixture and stir to coat the veggies in the seasoning.

Cook for ten minutes.

Divide the veggies into thirds: one third and two thirds together.

Remove 2/3 of the veggies to a plate and set aside. 

Pour one teaspoon of EVOO in with the remaining 1/3 veggies.

Add the pound of ground turkey to the pan, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt & pepper, and stir to mix the veggies in with the meat.

 

Allow that to cook for about five minutes until the meat is browned. Pour out the grease and pour in 2/3 cups of water.  Sprinkle in the second packet of taco seasoning. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Turn the heat off on the meat.

Place two mixing bowls side by side. We are going to make a vegetarian mix in one bowl and a meat mixture in the other box.  In one bowl, place one cup of cooked quinoa. Sprinkle half of the remaining spice packet over it and stir.

To that, add one cup of the beans & corn mixture as well as all of the veggies you set aside.

Stir well to combine.

In the second bowl, place 3/4 cup quinoa and the remaining contents of the spice packet.  To the quinoa, add 3/4 cup of the beans & corn mixture and one cup of the cooked meat & veggie mixture. Stir well to combine.

Use a large serving spoon to stuff the quinoa mixture into the halves of the cooked red peppers. Make sure that two halves are filled with the veggie mixture and two halves are filled with the turkey mixture.

 

Place in the oven and let cook for five minutes. Use this time to make your chunky guacamole topping.

Add the cubed avocado and diced tomatoes to a small bowl, sprinkle with the second lime slice, and mix. Set aside.

After five minutes remove the stuffed peppers from the oven. Place them on your serving dishes.

Add the guacamole to the top of each stuffed pepper and sprinkle with the minced cilantro.

Serve hot and enjoy! Salute!