Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Here’s a healthy twist on a familiar dish that delivers flavor and keeps the cooking simple. Stuffed peppers are made a number of ways with different flavorings and for this recipe, Southwestern flavors were used. 

Usually a combination of ground meat, cheese and a starch or grain, here I used turkey and quinoa for the base and added beans and cheese to give it a distinctive taco flavoring. 

Change up the ingredients for what you have on hand and play with the seasonings each time you make it. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4-8

1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, small dice
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, minced (optional)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoon chili powder
6 oz shredded cheese, divided (Monterey jack, Mexican blend)
1 cup quinoa, cooked
4 bell peppers, cut in half and deseeded
Salt
Oil

Garnishes:
Avocado, sliced
Scallions, chopped
Sour cream
Hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the turkey and onion (and hot peppers) in 2 tablespoons oil until turkey is cooked through. Add 2 teaspoons salt.
Add chopped garlic and cook 2 min. 
Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes, beans, seasoning, quinoa and half of the cheese until combined.
Spoon filling into peppers and top with remaining cheese.
Place on a sheet tray and cook for 20-25 minutes. 
Serve with garnishes.


Pair with…
For this recipe, a light, refreshing profile would be perfect. This week we are featuring a unique white wine from Jo Pithon, a Loire Valley winemaker. The Voyage dans les Vignes ‘Pesked’ is a blend of the white grape  (80%) Melon de Bourgogne and a red grape (20%) Grolleau, though there is no skin contact, so the wine remains white. The wine shows lots of minerality and some notable texture due to lees contact. You will find many reasons to enjoy this wine with a variety of dishes.