15 min
30 min
4
5 large red bell peppers
¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
1½ cups water
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup pine nuts
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions
½ tsp. ground cumin
10 ounces Swiss Chard or other fresh greens, shredded (8 cups)
¼ cup choppedfresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1 Tbs. lemon juice1 tsp. freshly grated
lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450º F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving stems on. Carefully remove seeds. Place peppers, cut-side down, on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just tender. Dice 2 halves; set all peppers aside.
While the peppers are baking, rinse the quinoa. This step is necessary to remove the bitter natural saponin coating of the quinoa kernel. Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and simmer, covered, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Over medium heat, warm the oil, then sauté the scallions and cumin for about 2 minutes until softened. Add Swiss chard and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until greens are wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, parsley, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, reserved chopped pepper, cooked quinoa, and pine nuts. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mixture evenly among pepper halves. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving (2 stuffed pepper halves): 237 calories, 9 g protein, 10 g fat, 33 g carbohydrate, 456 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
From Better Eating For Life
