As promised, a recipe. But before I dive into this post, I just wanted to say thank you for the outpouring of amazing emails/comments after yesterday's post. While the internet can be a place of chaos and angry people, it's also an amazing tool to bring people together. So thank you, so much.
Now, this recipe. I mentioned almost a year ago (where is time going!?!?) that I started writing an article for the San Jose Mercury news. The recipe is suppose to embody 'fast and furious' for those weeknight dinners that need to be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Stuffed peppers are one of my go-to fork/knife vegetarian meals because you can really stuff it full of anything and call it a meal. This particular pepper calls for a quick cooking grain (quinoa) and also pre-made tomato sauce (either store bought or homemade!) However, if you have any leftover grains sitting around- you can replace quinoa with anything you like (millet and barley are a couple of my favorites!)
PrintQuinoa and Zucchini Stuffed Peppers
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup shredded zucchini/summer squash
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced basil
- ½ cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ounces mozzarella, shredded, divided
Instructions
- Preheat broiler. Place peppers whole under the broiler and cook until soft and just starting to char, rotating as needed, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly, then slice in half from top to bottom. Lay pepper halves flat in a roasting pan.
- Preheat/lower oven to 425 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine quinoa, shredded squash, basil, tomato sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and half the cheese.
- Divide the quinoa mixture among the four pepper halves. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and is starting to lightly brown.
Maryea {Happy Healthy Mama} says
This recipe looks lovely and has two things I have a lot of right now: zucchini and peppers. Perfect. 🙂
Victoria says
That looks so delicious!
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Christina @ but i'm hungry says
Oh man, I love stuffed peppers. My grandma told me a story about how when she first started dating my grandpa, she would cook him stuffed peppers in her tiny apartment, and he loved them. She would always try to make a few extra so she could have leftovers, but the more she made each time, the more my grandpa would eat! 😉 Every time I see stuffed peppers I smile thinking of them eating those stuffed peppers over 50 years ago!
Baby June says
Those look fabulous! Such a great use for fresh peppers and squash. 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Yum! I LOOOVE stuffed peppers, and especially this vegetarian variety, since sometimes they have shredded beef in them. Love the use of quinoa and zucchini instead!
Meg says
Love quinoa stuffed peppers!! I like mine spicy and so we always add red pepper flakes. Delicious!
★★★★
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Loving this idea. SO yummy!
Tamara says
Love this recipe. it reminds me of an Armenian dish my mo mused to make.
★★★★★
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
stuffed pepper look so good and wholesome.
Katie @ Whole Nourishment says
Always looking for quick but satisfying weeknight meals. Love this fast and furious take on stuffed veggies!
Tamzin says
These look so tasty
Aysegul - Ice says
Looks great. I love the addition of zucchini and basil.
🙂
Nicole B. says
These look delicious. I've made a similar dish but added some corn and onion. These are so versatile which is one of the many reasons I love them!
Teffy Perk says
Yuuum! Looks so so good!
Love quinoa, could have it with anything, but in this recipe it looks even more appealing!
{Teffy's Perks} X
Stephanie @ A Magpie in the Sky says
I love a speedy week night supper and this is such a good way to use up the courgette glut at the moment (And stop me baking with them!)
Natalia Armoza says
Just had these for dinner. They are delicious. My husband, Mr. I hate quinoa, has asked for an encore appearance. Definitely yummy and to be repeated. The only change was I added some parmesan cheese to the quinoa mix. This is an easy meal with a complex flavor.
erin says
That's what I like to hear! Thanks for coming back and letting me know!
Bonnie says
Yay! Not only do these look amazing, but I'm SO thrilled I've found your blog! For the past several months i've been desperate to find recipes that fit my criteria AND look delicious and these types of recipes are, sadly, lacking. I want fresh meals, whole grain and produce based, no (or very minimal) meat and using seasonal ingredients. Lo and behold! Your food looks perfect. Why is it that all the "whole foods" blogs are full of meat and the "vegetarian" blogs are full of over-processed tofu weirdness? I'm desperate to feed my 6(!) kids healthy stuff that they like and it's maddeningly difficult. Long story short: new reader here 🙂 Thanks again! I think we'll do african curry tonight...mmmm!
erin says
YES! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi, Bonnie (and you won't find any tofu here- SO not my style 🙂
Janet wood says
So loved this recipe. Had a glut of both red peppers and zucchini. Made these for dinner and they went down a treat. Have also stuffed with red onion corn tomato spring onion and avocado added to the cooked pepper and quinoa. Served with salad made a very healthy lunch
terry says
that looks great and sooo healthy. Looks like something i could add to my diet without any worry 😉 thanks for the recipe.
Javier says
❤️❤️❤️ im eating them right now
Bri says
question: did you remove the seeds from the pepper or no? I removed the seeds and LOVED the recipe but I'm just curious 🙂
erin says
I rarely ever remove the seeds unless I'm working with a chile where the seeds add unwanted heat!
Bri says
thanks! love this recipe! have made it for myself & then for my family so that they could try some awesome vegetarian food. they approved 🙂
Ella says
These were disappointingly bland. Needs more oomf to be satisfying, add somekf your own spices if trying this recipe.
★★
erin says
So sorry to hear that (especially given quite a few people have made this without disappointment). I'd recommend upping the garlic/basil if you really feel it needs it though!
bri says
this is one of my favorite go-to recipes. for easter, my grandmother asked me to bring a veggie as a side dish. I'm going to make these, but a mini pepper version! (so people don't need to take a full half pepper).