Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa and I have not had an easy time of it. To be honest, my first few attempts at making it as it became more and more popular resulted in something bitter and nasty. Yes, I rinsed it! I rinsed the hell out of it and still, yuck. I’d listen to people raving about quinoa this and quinoa that and think: eeew. There may have even been a scrunching up of the face in the very way I ask my children not to do when they’re faced with a food they’re not in love with. Compounding my dilemma is Laura’s allergy to the superfood grain. If anyone was going to cover off quinoa around here, it’s got to be me.

Then I discovered a little trick. I can’t even remember which brand I bought whose package instructions included the step of sautéeing the quinoa in a teeny bit of oil for a minute before adding the liquid. And the angels sang! No more bitter quinoa! So now that I’ve got all that lost time to make up for, I’m putting it in everything. Like, these stuffed peppers. I’m a sucker for stuffed things and I find most kids are, too. In fact, if you’re trying to get your kids to try something new, I highly recommend stuffing it into something else. Seriously.

This recipe for quinoa stuffed peppers is zesty with cumin and chili, but not spicy. And of course, the melt-y cheese helps pull everything together. If you make your quino in advance they come together really quickly. And how cute are they? Cute quinoa – I’m totally converted.

photo by Maya Visnyei