Quinoa Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

Slightly adapted from Cooking Planit

So this is the other recipe I made yesterday with my Cooking Planit App. I deviated from the recipe and made a gluten free version and it made me feel all rebellious and crazy, like I was forging my own trail.

But you know what? In the end, when I compare the two recipes, mine is really not all that different from Chef Emily’s. It’s got quinoa in place of the orzo, zucchini and onions in place of the kale (mostly because I couldn’t really let myself buy more veggies when I have two drawers full of them in my fridge and another box of them on my counter) and no breadcrumbs on
top, you know, to stick with the gluten free theme. You see, I wanted to share this recipe with my gluten free friend who has a
pretty bad reaction to gluten even when the only gluten in the recipe is from cross contamination. I was careful to buy quinoa that was certified gluten free and I even checked the sausage to make sure it didn’t have gluten in it.

I hope there wasn’t any flour on my cutting board …

Quinoa Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small zucchini (about 6–7 inches long)
• 1/2 of a small red onion, chopped
• 1 – 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 – 3 oz. beef or pork chorizo sausage (I used pork)
• 2 bell peppers (any color)
• 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa, warmed
• 2 oz. of goat cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil to warm it. Add in the zucchini, onion, and garlic and sautee until the onion is translucent and soft. Pour into a bowl and set the veggies aside.
3. Now, cook the sausage in the same fry pan over medium heat, using a spatula to chop it up as it cooks. Cook till brown and crumbly, then set on a clean towel (that you don’t mind if it stains) to drain off the excess oil. Pat it a bit with the towel to pull out more of the fat.
4. Take the bell peppers and cut the tops off, then remove the ribs and seeds inside (using a small knife, a spoon, or your fingers). Set the peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle the peppers and the tops very lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set them in the oven to bake for 13 – 15 minutes or until they are tender.
5. While the peppers are cooking, mix the veggies with the quinoa, sausage, and most of the goat cheese (saving a little of the cheese to sprinkle on top). Once the peppers are done, pull them out of the oven and, using a spoon, scoop the filling mixture into the peppers. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved goat cheese and set them back in the oven, this time closer to the top of the oven with the oven set on broil. Broil for 2 – 5 minutes until the cheese is melty and a bit browned.
6. Transfer the peppers to serving plates and enjoy!

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