quinoa stuffed bell peppers.

And so my love affair with quinoa continues…

As I was transitioning back into the world of eating after doing a 2 week cleanse (and here I pause, wondering if I even dare share this information since 2 or 3 people out there consider me an actual food blogger, which is really incorrect anyway since I’m just faking it till I make it…that food blogger is doing a cleanse?  talk about lazy…get back in the kitchen!), I stumbled upon this recipe for bell peppers stuffed with quinoa, walnuts, feta and parsley.  It sounded light and I assumed that it would agree with my post-cleanse stomach which I’m fairly certain was about 1/3 of its original size (a correct assumption I’m happy to report – again, maybe too much information?).

I’m a bigtime fan of quinoa – and even more of a fan of combining it with walnuts, sauteed onions and parsley.

Stuff the quinoa into the bell peppers, pop them the oven, go chat with your neighbors, then come back and top with a little more cheese…

And you’re good to go with a vegetarian dish that’s fresh, light, full of protein and easy in the fat and calories department.

What do you think about quinoa?  Let’s hear it…

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

(quite loosely adapted from Everyday Food Light – serves 4)

What You’ll Need:

4 bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

salt and pepper

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Slice a very thin layer from the base of each bell pepper so that it sits upright.  Slice off the top, just below the stem, and remove the ribs and seeds from the top.  Discard all stems, tops and bottoms.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium.  Add onions, garlic, italian seasoning and salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Add quinoa and cook, stirring, until fragrant (1 minute).  Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 11-13 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in parsley, nuts and 1/2 of the feta.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide quinoa evenly among the peppers.  Place in a baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake until peppers are tender, about 1 hour.  Uncover and top with remaining feta.  Bake until cheese melts, about 10 minutes more.  Serve warm.

Nutrition:

390 calories per serving

17 grams of fat

42 carbs

16 grams protein

6 grams fiber

Did you give it a try?  Leave me a comment below or head over to Facebook and let me know what you think!