Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Beef

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

Indeed, that's exactly what I did when he was away.

No silly, wipe off that naughty smile on your face. You see if you follow my blog, you will notice that my new post veers away from my usual flavor profile. And when you cook for yourself, it gives you a chance to be playful.  That's the kind of play I'm talking about - being creative in the kitchen without any constraints or limitations.  And I especially focus on the flavors - new and old - and experiment with unfamiliar ingredients.


I've always loved stuffed peppers - it is always in my to-cook-list that I carry around. Why is it on the list?  Well I'm not sure. So when I saw the vibrant colors of bell peppers at the store the other day, I knew right away that stuffed peppers will be in my menu very soon. Quinoa, on the other hand, is something that I've only discovered recently. And how to spell the word quinoa - much more how to enunciate it - is always a challenge but I love to use this pseudo-cereal as a substitute for rice.


So I must admit, I have been terrible on the occasions when I need to fend for myself. Why bother cooking just for me? But the colorful bell peppers in my fridge seduces me to change my mind... So A-HA!... The moment to make stuffed peppers reveals itself to me. They look so festive, nutritious. And most of all, it makes me happy! 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Beef 

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/4 c water
1 can beef broth
1/2 lb beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 pcs bell pepper
1/2 c crumbly Gorgonzola, divided
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs
1/2 c pineapple tidbits
1/2 c cubed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees.

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh.  In a stockpot, add the broth and water.  Bring to a rolling boil.  Stir in the drained quinoa.  Lower heat and cook it for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the top of the bell peppers. Remove the seeds and the insides, creating a nice pepper cup.  Set aside.

In a pan, saute onions and garlic with olive oil. When onions are translucent, add the beef.  Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix  the cooked quinoa and beef.  Mix them together.  Add pineapple tidbits, grogonzola and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the bell peppers and bake it for 15 minutes.  (Note:  I want to keep my peppers firm and also make sure not to dry up my beef and quinoa)



When the cat is away the mice will play?

Hmm maybe I did.  *wink... *wink.  Thank you Ann, Viv and Dave, Rene and Majessa for keeping me busy over the weekend  Cheers!


23 comments:

  1. So true, it's harder to cook and please others and we pinoys tend to always eat and like the same thing over and over again! LOL!

    Thanks btw for letting me know about my comments section fixed the gliche already!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ok let me hop over to your blog and check it.
      malou

      Delete
  2. Now Malou you made me hungry. I love stuffed peppers. My stuffed peppers look limp all the time. I noticed that you didn't parboil it. Maybe I should try that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Helena! Yes I didn't boil it. I really want my peppers to be firm. I also don't mind that the bottom gets charred. It gives an earthy flavor. Thanks for the comment.
      Malou

      Delete
  3. I wish the prices of bell peppers are cheaper. It's so expensive here. I only use green ones because they are cheaper. Yours are so pretty and absolutely healthy.

    Laura.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was lucky that I bought the peppers on sale. I was surprised too how cheap they were because normally they could be pricey.
      Malou

      Delete
  4. Great take on stuffed peppers! The quinoa is a great idea. And I love the idea of Gorgonzola - what terrific flavor it must have added. Really nice - thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes the Gorgonzola added some sharp notes. Love it. Thank you for the comment.

      Delete
  5. I like bell peppers, they not just taste good but also look great, nice to serve such things fort guests.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the colors so festive. Indeed it's a great dish to serve for guests. Thanks Medeja!

      Delete
  6. Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite things but I've never used quinoa. I'm going to try it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Maureen. As I've said in my post, I love to sub quinoa with my rice. It feels lighter and healthier.

      Thanks for dropping by.
      Malou

      Delete
  7. I like your creative flair, it's very inspiring. I haven't used quinoa yet for stuffed peppers, which is also one of my favorites. Must try your recipe. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the inspiration and recipe, Malou. Next time you're by yourself, let me know and I'd love to keep you company esp. if dinner by you is this delish :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fly over here when I'm alone, I bet we will have a great time haha.
      Thanks and let me know how it goes. Promise!
      Malou

      Delete
  8. Love this twist on a classic stuffed peppers dish!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hope you were able to finish them all by yourself. :) When cat is away, I turn to instant noodles. You're such a good girl. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. nope I had some left-over but I had it for lunch the following day so it worked well :)
      Noodles is a good option when the cat is away too:)

      Delete
  10. Oh yeah, things went around my naughty mind after reading the first sentence. Hehe! Love the combination of colors and presentation. Nicely done, Malou. You are getting really good at this. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew it hehe. I would think that you will be thinking of some silly ideas haha.
      THanks for the compliment Ray. It means so much to me.

      Delete
  11. Hi my dear friend Malou! I simply adore your gorgeous and delicious stuffed peppers with all the flavorful and perfect combinations. It looks like you added (ground) beef which you did specify but I would add the beef ground, and not in chunks. You always inspire us with your awesome and creative recipes

    The beauty of stuffed peppers for me represent the colorful red, yellow, or orange...so bright and cheerful. We get such a great price on bell peppers in our local Cuban vegetable market, because as soon as it starts to get a little softer, they reduce the price so ridiculously that we just can't keep up with all the purchase...even froze some of them sliced, and chopped! Have a great week, hope it's getting a little warmer now by you! Hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Mi Amiga!
      Great to see you back! yes I did add ground beef. Does it look chunky to you? hihih but no i't sactually ground.

      I'm glad that you get your peppers cheaper than all of us. I checked today at the grocery ctore and boy did it increase again tsk tsk.
      It's getting warmer here... im glad thanks for asking!

      Malou

      Delete
  12. Quinoa is so versatile, once you start using it will grace you table more often. I like to cook my stuffed pepper until they almost collapse. I put a little stock in the cooking pan and some olive oil over the top to stop them from drying out.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and oh I would be thrilled even more if you could leave a comment... :) Cheers!

Share this thru:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...