Stuffed Peppers, Americas Style
Total time: 40 minutes
Quinoa makes it so much more interesting and adds a meatier texture to the finished peppers than the, more traditional, rice! Use ground turkey if you prefer.... Something else I can't get.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup quinoa
- 2/3 cup (5oz, 150ml) chicken stock
- 2 - 3 nicely shaped medium bell peppers, any color
- 5oz ground beef (150gr mince)
- 1 medium onion
- 2oz (60gr) mushrooms
- 1 rib celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbs water
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup (2oz, 60gr) shredded cheese
- 2 - 4 drops hot pepper sauce or more... optional
Instructions:
- Cook quinoa in stock until done.
- Put a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Cut peppers in half the long way (try to find the best flat sides before cutting so that they will lie nicely) and remove stem end and seeds.
- When water is boiling drop peppers in and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove (use tongs) and put into a baking dish that will just hold them (if possible).
- Finely chop onion, celery; mince garlic.
- Clean and chop mushrooms.
- Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chili powder and paprika for 1 minute.
- Add celery and onion, sauté until tender, 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and mushrooms, sauté 3 minutes longer.
- Add beef and sauté until cooked through breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, 1/4 cup tomato sauce and hot pepper sauce if using.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water.
- When stock mixture is simmering, stir cornstarch in to thicken.
- Remove from heat, add quinoa and stir well to combine.
- Spoon mixture into the pepper halves.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 400F (200C).
- Remove foil, spoon the remaining tomato sauce on top of each pepper and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake, uncovered until cheese melts.
- Serve.
Note: Keep any extra stuffing warm and serve on the side.