Quinoa with Multi-colored Peppers and Goat Cheese Recipe

Quinoa has a satisfying nutty flavor and soft but chewy texture. Creamy goat cheese adds richness to this healthy recipe perfect for a family meal. There are several steps in this recipe, but all of them are quick and easy.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 peppers, one each of each color (yellow, red, orange, green)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 16 oz ground turkey
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley, loosely packed
• 8 oz. crumbled fresh chevre

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice tops off peppers just below the crown. Pull out seeds then rinse peppers quickly under running water to remove all remaining seeds. Place tops back on peppers and put in a casserole dish with a lid. Put the dish in the oven with the lid on. Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven. Set aside, leaving the lid on the dish. Keep the oven on.

Place quinoa and 2 cups water in a 1 ½ quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is chewy but not hard, about 15 minutes.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey. Using a spatula or large spoon, continually break ground turkey into smaller pieces as it cooks. Add salt and cayenne pepper. When turkey is no longer pink and just begins to brown, add canned tomatoes. Mix well into turkey. Cook 1 more minute then turn off heat.

Add turkey to quinoa. Add parsley. Add crumbled goat cheese. Mix well. Take tops off peppers. A little water will have collected in the bottom of each pepper. This is fine – simply scoop quinoa-turkey mixture into the peppers, packing the peppers full. Spoon remaining quinoa around the sides of the peppers. Set the tops back loosely on peppers. With the lid on the casserole dish, bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit five minutes before serving.

Recipe by Jennifer Meier

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