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Quinoa: The Complete Protein Grain Makes Great Stuffed Bell Peppers
Quinoa is a tiny bead grain. It looks like barley that hasn't grown up yet!
However, fully formed bead-like quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) has the most protein of any grain, ounce for ounce. According to the USDA Nutritional Analysis Comparison, quinoa has 16.2 % protein versus the nearest competitor wheat at 14% and 13% for oats. Besides protein, quinoa has all the essential amino acids in greater proportion than wheat or soy.
In case you haven't heard about quinoa, it is not that readily available in food stores, but is well-known in health food stores. A 12-ounce box of quinoa contains two cups of grain that expands to make 10 servings. Our favorite source is Ancient Harvest Brand; certified organic, it is raised high in the Andes Mountains in Bolivia. Quinoa was an important grain of the Incas, who referred to it as The Mother Grain.
Our favorite quick-use of quinoa is in tomato soup. It makes a wonderful winter pick-me-up as it cooks in 10-15 minutes. We boil the water that we are going to add to the tomato soup, add the quinoa right at the start, and at the 10 minute mark, add canned tomato soup. By the time the tomato soup is ready, the quinoa is, too. Top it off with a few oyster crackers and you are set.
You can use quinoa as a breakfast cereal, a side dish like rice, like couscous, in stews and soups, desserts and in main dishes, like our meal favorite below. This recipe is on the box of our quinoa:
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water, bringing water to a boil and then reducing heat and simmering for 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.
Steam 4 large or 6 medium green peppers until soft, but not limp.
In a large skillet, sauté 1 diced medium onion and ½ pound of sliced fresh mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter. (Sue Sez: Don't forget, mushrooms release the most flavor if they are given plenty of room in the frying pan, so consider cooking them first!)
Add 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, reserving liquid for later.
Add two crushed garlic cloves and one 12-ounce jar of salsa.
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add two tablespoons of dry sherry and simmer 10 more minutes.
Fold in quinoa and stuff the peppers in the baking dish. Remnant quinoa mixture may be placed around the peppers and the reserved tomato juice poured around the peppers.
Sprinkle 10 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese over the peppers and bake in 325 oven for 30-35 minutes.
However, fully formed bead-like quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) has the most protein of any grain, ounce for ounce. According to the USDA Nutritional Analysis Comparison, quinoa has 16.2 % protein versus the nearest competitor wheat at 14% and 13% for oats. Besides protein, quinoa has all the essential amino acids in greater proportion than wheat or soy.
In case you haven't heard about quinoa, it is not that readily available in food stores, but is well-known in health food stores. A 12-ounce box of quinoa contains two cups of grain that expands to make 10 servings. Our favorite source is Ancient Harvest Brand; certified organic, it is raised high in the Andes Mountains in Bolivia. Quinoa was an important grain of the Incas, who referred to it as The Mother Grain.
Our favorite quick-use of quinoa is in tomato soup. It makes a wonderful winter pick-me-up as it cooks in 10-15 minutes. We boil the water that we are going to add to the tomato soup, add the quinoa right at the start, and at the 10 minute mark, add canned tomato soup. By the time the tomato soup is ready, the quinoa is, too. Top it off with a few oyster crackers and you are set.
You can use quinoa as a breakfast cereal, a side dish like rice, like couscous, in stews and soups, desserts and in main dishes, like our meal favorite below. This recipe is on the box of our quinoa:
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water, bringing water to a boil and then reducing heat and simmering for 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.
Steam 4 large or 6 medium green peppers until soft, but not limp.
In a large skillet, sauté 1 diced medium onion and ½ pound of sliced fresh mushrooms in two tablespoons of butter. (Sue Sez: Don't forget, mushrooms release the most flavor if they are given plenty of room in the frying pan, so consider cooking them first!)
Add 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes, reserving liquid for later.
Add two crushed garlic cloves and one 12-ounce jar of salsa.
Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add two tablespoons of dry sherry and simmer 10 more minutes.
Fold in quinoa and stuff the peppers in the baking dish. Remnant quinoa mixture may be placed around the peppers and the reserved tomato juice poured around the peppers.
Sprinkle 10 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese over the peppers and bake in 325 oven for 30-35 minutes.
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1. Vegetarian recipes
2. Smoothie recipes
How? It's easy!
Privacy policy:
Your email address is safe;
we NEVER share our list.
