Italian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Where has the time gone?? I have been holding onto and perfecting this recipe for months. But in the midst of that, I was studying for 8-10 hours a day and doing endless blocks of practice questions. I am so happy to say that I have finished year 2 of medical school and the STEP 1 exam is behind me.

Next up is clerkships in my third year of medical school. I will rotate through all of the different specialties to see what I like and work under the guidance of attending physicians and residents. I am very excited to put all of the knowledge I have acquired over the past two years into action. But most of all, I am excited to just interact with patients and colleagues. I am going to learn by actions and observations from now on.

These next two years of medical school should give me more time to focus on my blog and continue documenting my culinary creations! I will still have some studying to do, but now I know I can find a point in my day when I can put the books aside. I am much looking forward to the curriculum in the coming years.

This recipe that I am sharing is one of my favorites. My Nonna used to make stuffed peppers for us quite often at home. They were one of my favorite meals - especially in the summertime when peppers are in season. I have this idea that someday I will write a cookbook containing my twists on family favorite recipes. So here is my take on her recipe!

My recipe uses quinoa instead of white rice and really cuts down on the amount of meat that is in the pepper. I like the texture of quinoa in these peppers. It soaks up some of the pepper juices as they cook in the oven. For vegetarian options, substitute garbanzo beans for the sausage. This eliminates the processed meat and still supplies some protein and fats to the meal.

These are so fun to make in the summer. I love to pick fresh basil and parsley from my little herb garden on my deck. It makes me feel so proud when I have grown ingredients that go into dish. It is also nice to support local farms and vendors by purchasing the fresh peppers and onions from a local farmer's market. You never know what other unique foods and specialities you might find there!

If you want to get creative for summer, you can grill the peppers before stuffing them. Grill the peppers alone for about 5 minutes or until limp. Then stuff them with the quinoa mixture. Cook for another 10 minutes until the inside is warm. Top with cheese immediately after taking them off the grill to get a good melt. This is so quick! But I must mention it is a little messier as the quinoa will fall where it wants! My directions below are for oven baking.

Essential for this recipe is fresh mozzarella cheese! Burrata cheese is my absolute favorite form of mozzarella! However, it is hard to find at some grocery stores. So any fresh mozzarella cheese log will do.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I love to serve it with some crispy oven-roasted potatoes and a kale caesar salad. If you try it out, let me know! I would love to hear what you think!

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Italian Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

• Burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese

• Fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut bell peppers in half through stem. Remove seeds and brush lightly with olive oil – inside and out. Arrange peppers half side up in a casserole dish.

3. In a large bowl, stir together quinoa, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Set aside.

4. In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Remove from heat and add to bowl with quinoa.

5. In same skillet, sauté garlic and onion. When onions are translucent and beginning to brown, add spinach. Cook until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and add to bowl with quinoa.

6. Generously stuff halved peppers with quinoa mixture. If there is any remaining quinoa, throw it in there as well - even if it doesn’t make it onto a pepper. Cover dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Remove foil and top with cheese. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, until peppers are soft and lightly golden brown.

8. Serve warm with fresh basil.

9. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.