Tasty and Healthy? It's True!

Making stuffed peppers isn't too tricky, and I wanted to change it up a little bit.  Instead of using the old standby rice, I thought it would be tasty (and healthy) to swap it out for Quinoa.  I love it, and you can basically put it in anything.  There are even recipes out there for cookies with quinoa in them which I am hoping to try soon.  It's so easy and good for you, you can't go wrong!  Using chicken sausage instead of a regular pork type sausage also takes it in a healthier direction.  Give them a try!

Stuffed Peppers With Quinoa and Chicken

1 C cooked quinoa
1 tbsp oil
4 bell peppers, halved lengthwise, scooped clean of seeds
2 chicken sausages (casing removed)
1-1/2 C chopped white mushrooms
½ C chopped fresh parsley
½ C chopped white onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 C Crumbled Feta Cheese

Cook your quinoa according to the package directions.  I used chicken stock as my liquid instead of water when I made mine.  Salt and pepper the cut peppers, and place your peppers cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake @ 350 F for 10 minutes.  In the meantime heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick skillet, add your chicken sausage removed from the casing.  Once it’s started to cook a bit, toss in the chopped onion.  Closer to the end of cooking add the chopped mushrooms.  If they are added too early, I find they get soggy. 

Mix together your cooked quinoa and skillet ingredients until combined, add in the chopped fresh parsley.  Scoop this mixture into your halved peppers and stuff them full!  Top with crumbled feta cheese (this is the reason you’ve halved them lengthwise, more surface area for cheese!).  Place open side up on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F until heated through and the cheese browns a little bit (about 10 minutes or so).


The leftovers are just as tasty!