Author Notes: I spotted a basket of baby sweet peppers at my new favorite market, and I couldn’t resist taking them home with me. Stuffed peppers came to mind first despite a so-so previous attempt with rice and tomatoes, but I figured quinoa and chorizo would kick things up. They definitely did. Use any peppers you like (I also used a couple poblanos), but the small sweet ones were my favorite. A perfect dinner for late August. —Ileana Morales Valentine
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients
-
10
small sweet peppers (about 4 inches long), halved lengthwise and seeds removed
-
extra-virgin olive oil
-
salt
-
pepper
-
2
links fresh chorizo, casing removed
-
1
shallot, minced
-
2
garlic cloves, minced
-
1
cup cooked quinoa
-
1
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
-
1/4
cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for the end
-
juice of 1 lime
Directions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Arrange peppers on a large baking sheet. Drizzle peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until softened and charred at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a skillet to medium- high heat. Saute the crumbled chorizo until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a bowl or plate. Add the shallot to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir the chorizo back in and take it off the heat.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the quinoa, chorizo mixture, cilantro, cotija cheese, and fresh lime juice. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
- Use a small spoon to stuff the peppers with the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese. Pop the baking sheet back into the oven under the broiler setting for a minute or so, just long enough to slightly melt or brown the cheese. Serve.
Leave a Reply