Vegetarian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I thought it would be interesting to mix things up a little and make a protein packed meal that was still vegetarian. During my first three years of high school I was a pescatarian, which basically meant that the only meat I ate was fish, mainly because I couldn't give up the Maine lobster every summer. It started as a bet with my brother, he didn't think that I could go a year without eating meat, so the day after my eighth grade graduation I stopped eating meat. And for a while I just never went back to it. I spent three years eating a lot of fish and a lot of pasta. It wasn't the most healthy thing I ever did, but I did it, I won the bet and I continued even after it, until I settled on going to culinary school and I figured  I would need to start eating meat again. Back then I wasn't the most creative with what I would make for dinner, I was a full time high school student and I didn't have the time or the money to make any grand meal for dinner on the weekdays. But after a year of culinary school and a lot more time on my hands I have finally come up with a few easy vegetarian recipes that I definitely could have used a few years ago.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 red onion - diced
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 medium tomato - diced
2 ounces feta cheese - crumbled
2 bell peppers - tops cut off and hollowed out

Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of quinoa to a boil then turn it down to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes till water is absorbed. Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in a little bit of olive oil till onion is soft, then add the spinach and sauté till spinach is wilted. In a bowl mix together the quinoa, spinach mixture, tomato and crumbled feta cheese. Season to taste and fill hollowed out peppers and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender.

So for any vegetarians out there who are looking for a new easy dinner recipe, here it is. The things that you can mix in with the quinoa are endless and can be adjusted for different vegetables that are in season. These stuffed peppers are definitely going to be something that I experiment more with over the summer. Now I'm going to finish cleaning up and continue to binge watch Orange is the New Black. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!