Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I'm toying with the idea of going back to a sort of "endometriosis diet" - no red meat, very limited or no dairy, cut out the simple carbs and sugar...maybe not the whole wheat-free thing this time since I didn't notice much of a difference for me and evidence of its connection to endo is more sketchy. I've already given up (and stuck with it!) alcohol and caffeine...except for chocolate.

I'll need to really gear myself up for not having chocolate. I should probably just start with at least cutting back some.

OK, and I had some wine over Christmas...but none since then!

(If you're interested, there's lots of different websites and books that discuss this topic. Basically, dairy and red meat can stimulate prostaglandin production which causes inflammation and pain. Red meat, sugars and caffeine have been linked to estrogen production in the body, thereby throwing off proper hormone balance...and many women with endo already have unbalanced hormones.)

Anyway, regardless of whether your diet is restricted or not, I highly recommend this recipe from Vegetarian Times: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers. I've made some adjustments to the recipe, so what I'm posting here is my version; you can find the original on the Vegetarian Times website.

The first time I made this I did not plan enough time for the whole process. This is a labor-intensive recipe. But I kind of cook as a hobby, so every once in a while I'll have enough time to do something time-consuming...and enjoy it!

I guarantee that if you go to the trouble of cooking this, you will love it!

(Edited to note that I just finished cooking this by parboiling the peppers first, thus cutting down the baking time. It was all much faster, so I put a note at the end of the recipe below.)

I'm rambling for no reason now, so let's just get on with my version of the recipe, shall we?


I'm not sure that sub-par picture really adds anything to this post. You'll just have to take my word that it's delicious.

Alright...the recipe:

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4

Ingredient List
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (~1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
1 rib celery, finely chopped (~1/4 cup)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
couple handfuls of spinach, chopped
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (LIQUID RESERVED) (use fire-roasted or with green chilies for more spice)
1/2 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Tbs. quinoa (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs.)
1 large carrot, grated (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup grated pepper Jack cheese, DIVIDED
2 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise, innards removed (Use any color pepper you want. If you use red, you don't need to add in the chopped red pepper up there at the top of the ingredient list.)

Directions
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, chopped red pepper and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 1 cup of water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender (look at your package directions). Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
OR (Quicker Version)
While cooking up the first step of the recipe, parboil the bell pepper halves in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove from water, rinse under cold water and allow to drain. Then reduce covered cooking time to 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese, and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes.