Quinoa and Sautéed Kale Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa & Sautéed Kale Stuffed Peppers with Crispy Cod

Ingredients:

For Quinoa:

• 1 cup white quinoa

• 2 cup water

• 1 tsp salt

For Sautéed Kale:

• 8 cups chopped kale leaves

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup water of vegetable stock

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

For Stuffed Peppers:

• 4 colored bell peppers

• salt and pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat; add quinoa and salt, stir and cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oil in a large pan of medium low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.

3. Add chopped kale leaves to pan, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, add water or stock, cover and cook for 5 minutes. If liquid dries out before the 5 minutes, add a bit more.

4. Remove cover and continue to cook until all water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and lemon or lime juice.

5. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa and sautéed kale. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

6. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane from peppers. Microwave peppers for 5 minutes. (You may need to do this in 2 batches.)

7. Season cavities of peppers with salt and pepper. Fill peppers with Quinoa & Sautéed Kale.

8. Microwave stuffed peppers for 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Yields: 4 to 8 servings

Notes&Tips:

• Bell peppers can be stuffed with a variety of grains, vegetables, meat or a combination. Here, I have used aloha peppers and stuffed with a grain and vegetable. This dish can serve as a main course vegetable meal or as a side dish to go with your choice of protein. If serving as a main course vegetable meal, each serving will be 2 stuffed peppers.

• Aloha peppers is a yellow and red striped bell pepper that is sweeter than red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. Green bell peppers can also be used to make this dish. I used aloha peppers for the simple reason that they are pleasing to eye and I just so happened to have in my refrigerator.

• If quinoa is not your favorite type of grain, you can use farro, or brown rice.

• I chose to serve this Quinoa and Sautéed Kale Stuffed Peppers with Crispy Cod Fish and salad.