Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans Recipe - South-American Style

Lately, we've been juicing (more on that later) and trying to cut back on meat around Casa de Elle Beau.  But Mr T. can be a reluctant vegetarian eater. The food has to taste really good for him to be satisfied when a meal is vegetarian.
I have a few things he loves, like my eggplant stacks, but we need more in the repertoire to keep us going.  He loves my Greek stuffed peppers recipe so I decided to try to stuffed peppers with quinoa.


By now most of you know what quinoa is. If you don't, it's a South American grain that packs a lot of protein punch. More info on quinoa here. I decided to put a Latin spin on these and they turned out to be fantastic. You could also try them with Anaheim peppers. Mr. T gave two thumbs up and asked for a repeat performance. He's a pretty tough critic when it comes to vegetarian meals so you know they have to be good!
(Note: I'm pretty sure these are gluten free but let me know if they aren't.)


Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Black Beans & Corn
(6 Servings)
1 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
6-8 red and/or green bell peppers
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/ 2 bag frozen corn, thawed (Note: I let it sit in warm water and then drain it to thaw it quickly)
1 chopped onion (Note: red or white - your choice)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 16 oz. can plain tomato sauce (Note: not spaghetti sauce, just plain tomatoes with nothing added!)
4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
2-3 tbs. chipotle sauce
3 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
3 tbs. chili powder
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. Goya light seasoned salt
4 oz. can fire-roasted green chiles (Note: I used Trader Joe's)
1 drop/squeeze of Agave
Fresh lime
Shredded jack and cheddar cheese
Cotija cheese (Note: You could also use queso fresco but it is a softer cheese.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse quinoa. Bring it to a boil in 3 cups water. When boiling reduce heat simmer, covered, for 12-13 minutes. Drain excess liquid if there is any.


While quinoa is boiling, rinse peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Discard membrane and seeds. Place peppers on a baking sheet with olive oil. Place cut side down. Roast in oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Peppers should be browned but should still retain their shape a bit.


Sauté chopped onion and garlic until tender and translucent. Mix quinoa, onions, peppers, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chipotle sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, green chiles, agave. Stir together. Add chopped fresh cilantro and squeeze fresh lime. Stir together. Taste and add any more of any seasoning you deem needed. You can also add some cheese into the mixture if you like things cheesy.


Take your quinoa stuffing and generously fill the peppers with it. Top things off with shredded cheese and then crumble a bit of cotija cheese on top. Place back in the oven on 450 degrees and cook until cheese is brown and bubbly. It should take about 5-7 minutes.