Author Notes: Here’s a great vegan dish to try while peppers are in season. It’s elegant enough for a fancy occasion, but really easy to put together. —Ordinary Blogger (Rivki Locker)
Serves: 3-6
Ingredients
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1
cup quinoa
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2
cups water
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3/4
teaspoon kosher salt, divided
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4 cloves
garlic
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1/2
teaspoon cumin
-
1/2
teaspoon coriander
-
1/4
teaspoon cinnamon
-
1/4
teaspoon ancho chili powder (use less if your chili is hot or you like things less spicy)
-
a few sprigs of oregano
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1
large tomato, or 2 plum tomatoes
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1/2
cup cashews
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3
large bell peppers
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1
Medium yellow onion
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375*. Brush a large glass dish with olive oil.
- Get your quinoa started. Measure the quinoa into a strainer and rinse well. Pour it into a small saucepan and add the water plus ½ a teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil on a high flame. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a frying pan. Chop your onion pretty fine and sauté for about 10 minutes, till translucent. Add the garlic, spices, and herbs, plus the extra ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes longer just till your kitchen smells amazing.
- Chop the tomato into smallish dice and add it to the onions. Mix it up and let it cook for another minute or two. Coarsely chop the cashews and add those too.
- Pour the cooked quinoa into the onions and mix well. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary.
- Now, wash and dry the peppers. Cut off the tops and cut each pepper in half. Clean them out, removing the ribs and seeds. Brush the insides and outsides with olive oil and lay the peppers in your prepared pan.
- Put a few spoonfuls of the quinoa mix into each pepper half.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for about ½ hour until the peppers are warmed through. (The pan should let out lots of steam when you remove the foil.) Let them sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. These are also lovely served cold.