Ingredients: Serves 4-6
4-6 large peppers, such as bell, poblano, or banana
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
6 ounces summer squash, zucchini or yellow,{very small dice}
6 ounces asparagus, thinly sliced, 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces carrot, {very small dice}
1 cup corn kernels, frozen or canned { Tip: Corn is one of the most highly genetically modified crops produced in America; Choose organic to ensure you are not eating GMOs if that is a concern for you}
1 ounce jalapeno, minced, seeded or not
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked quinoa {Tip: To cook quinoa, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth or water with 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, add 1 cup of quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steam for 5 minutes until all liquid is reduced.}
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried all spice
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
- Cut peppers of choice, vertically from stem to bottom, removing seeds and ribs. Steam pepper halves for about 5 minutes until tender. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, as peppers steam, in a large saute pan, heat oil and saute diced vegetables (except corn) for 1 – 2 minutes until vegetable begin to soften. {Ripe Tip: Vegetables will cook quickly since they are cut so small}.
- Add corn, jalapeno, and garlic, and continue to cook several minutes more until vegetables are tender. Add in cooked quinoa, tomato paste, and spices, adjusting salt to taste, stirring well to combine. Continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Stuff about 1/3 – 1/2 cup {depending on size of pepper} of quinoa mixture into each steamed pepper half. Place on a sheet tray or baking pan and roast for 20 minutes at 350ºF until top of mixture browns.