Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Oh man, these were de.li.cious. My Southwestern Stuffed Peppers come together quickly, and are pretty healthy!! They are vegetarian to boot, you won’t even miss the meat!

To make these Southwestern Stuffed Peppers you need the following: 2 large red bell peppers, 3/4 cup of diced green pepper, 1/2 cup of diced sweet (or yellow) onion, 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, 1 can of black beans, 1 1/2 cups of frozen (or canned) corn, 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, 2 cups of water, shredded cheddar cheese (approx. 1/4 cup), 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 2 1/4 teaspoons of chili powder.

To begin, rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Add the rinsed quinoa to a pot with 2 cups of water, and a sprinkle of salt. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and continue to cook over low heat until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

While the quinoa cooks, you can get moving on the vegetables. Preheat the broiler, and  chop the red peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. Next, lay the peppers cut side down, on a foil lined baking sheet (not necessary, just helps with clean up!). Broil for about 10 minutes, then remove and set aside.

In the meantime, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 3/4 cup of chopped green pepper, and 1/2 cup of diced sweet onion to a pan over medium-high heat. Stir vegetables, and cook until soft.

Drain and rinse the black beans, then add to the pan with the vegetables.

After the beans, add 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes.

The corn is up next. I zapped mine in the microwave for a minute and a half, and then added it to the pan.

Finally, throw the cooked quinoa into the mix. Season with 2 1/4 teaspoons of chili powder, and stir to combine.

Let the flavors get happy for a minute while you get your peppers ready. Flip the peppers over (I dried off any water that was left on the pan). Grab a spoon, and stuff your peppers! You’ll probably have leftover filling, this is okay, you can eat it on its own later!

Hello beauties!

Shred the cheddar cheese, and sprinkle a thin layer on top of the peppers.

Stick the stuffed peppers back under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Just long enough for the cheese to melt!

Oh.my.goodness.

I can’t even stand it! I served mine with an avocado crema (inspired by Kath’s blog)— just mash-up 1 ripe avocado with 1/4 cup of fat-free greek yogurt! It’s the perfect cool compliment to these fantastic peppers.

Make these now! I mean it!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Serves 2

2 large red peppers
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups water
3/4 cups green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 tsp. chili powder
≈1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Add the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to a pot, and sprinkle with salt. Bring water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and continue to cook quinoa until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Cut 2 red peppers in half lengthwise, removing seeds and membranes. Place peppers cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Broil for about 10 minutes. Remove, and set aside.

Add 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 3/4 cup of chopped green pepper, and 1/2 cup of diced sweet onion to a pan over medium-high heat. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse the black beans. Add the beans to the pan with the vegetables. Follow the black beans with 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn. Continue to cook until warm throughout. Add cooked quinoa to the pan and 2 1/4 tsp. of chili powder. Stir to combine, and reduce heat while you prepare the peppers.

Flip the broiled peppers over, wiping up any water they have released. Use a spoon to fill peppers with the quinoa and vegetable mixture. Top the stuffed peppers with a thin layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Return the pan to the broiler for 3-5 minutes, to allow the cheese to melt.

To make an avocado crema, mash 1 ripe avocado with 1/4 cup of fat-free greek yogurt, and stir to combine.

Serve immediately!