Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 10-12 minutes., Meanwhile, cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds. Place in a greased 8-in. square baking dish, cut side down. Microwave, uncovered, on high until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Turn peppers cut side up., Reserve 1/3 cup salsa; add remaining salsa to quinoa. Stir in beans, ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Spoon mixture into peppers; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until filling is heated through, 10-15 minutes. Top with reserved salsa.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove the inside membranes and seeds. Arrange the peppers cut-side up in a rectangular baking dish. 9-inch by 13-inch is a good size.
• Cook the quinoa. Rinse it well under cold water, then place in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until fluffy and the water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Set a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender and the onion is a bit browned, 6-7 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cooked quinoa, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• If you're adding chicken to all, stir that in now. If you're only adding chicken to some, first fill the peppers you'd like to be meatless, then stir the chicken into the mix, about 1/4 cup diced chicken per pepper.
• Finish dividing the mixture between the bell peppers. Carefully add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the baking dish and cover the dish tightly with foil.
• Bake until the bell peppers are fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with cheese (omit cheese or use vegan cheese for the dairy-free/vegan versions). Bake until the cheese has browned, about 10 more minutes.
• Serve with assorted toppings.