Steak, Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers, Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

If you love cumin then you are in for a treat. Normally, I stuff bell peppers with rice but I decided to switch it up a bit and add quinoa instead. Honestly, after eating the peppers, I prefer quinoa to rice. Delicious! I love steak, but the bell peppers stole the spotlight tonight. I precook the peppers to remove some of the water and to avoid overcooking the filling.

Combine the quinoa, veggies and spices

Prepare the peppers for baking

Stuff the peppers

Squeeze lime juice over the peppers and serve!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Cumin Recipe:
Serving Size = 4

• 1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed very well
• 1 cup of chicken stock or water
• 4 small bell peppers
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin (medium to heavy seasoning)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tomato, juiced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 4oz mushrooms, sliced
• Butter
• S/P
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ear of corn, steam and remove kernels or 1/2 can of corn, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Cut the tops off of the peppers, add some salt to each pepper and bake for 35 minutes. Take out of the oven and pour out any excess water.

Combine chicken stock and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the quinoa absorbs all of the liquid.

Saute the mushrooms, garlic and onions in a few tablespoons of butter with a touch of oil (do not over crowd). Once browned, add the tomatoes (throw away the juice), spices, s/p and cook a few more minutes. Add the corn kernels and quinoa, cilantro and turn off the heat. Add 1/2 of the lime juice, stir. Stuff the mixture into the peppers and place back in the glass dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and squeeze the other 1/2 of the lime over the top of each pepper.

Add spices, oil, mix and roast

Let cool and serve

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Original recipe
Serving Size = 3 - 4

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 can drained chickpeas, patted dry

Preheat oven to 400F

Add chickpeas, oil, spices and salt to a bowl. Mix well and place onto a baking sheet or pan. Spread them out evenly so they are not on top of each other. Bake for 35-45 minutes until lightly brown and crunchy. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

The Steak

I cook our steaks the same way every time. I do not want to over season the steak. I add salt, lots of pepper and a small sprinkle of onion powder on each side. They are then cooked on a grill until medium to medium-well.

Linking to: Food on Fridays, Friday Foodie, and Vegetarian Foodie Fridays.