DINE+WINE | in the kitchen
PROTEIN WITH
Pizazz
Enjoy some summer lovin’ with an easy summer’s night dinner! Your family and friends will love this dish and since it’s easy to make, so will you. Start with Mediterranean-spiced quinoa laid gently inside roasted peppers all nestled in rich spicy tomato sauce. Quinoa is a quick vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free filling option that is a powerhouse of protein. If you fancy it, you can personalize your peppers with a sprinkle of tasty cheese for those cheese lovers in your crowd. So keep it easy, relax and unwind— it’s summertime! Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Coulis 2 green peppers 1 cup uncooked quinoa 1 finely chopped yellow or sweet onion 2 garlic cloves crushed 2 tablespoons each fresh finely chopped mint and parsley 2 teaspoons zaatar seasoning or 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 jalapeno pepper de seeded and chopped finely (optional) 1/2 cup shelled and lightly crushed light salt pistachios Juice of 1/2 a lemon Sauce 12 ounces (1/2 a jar) tomato passata 1 jalapeno, de seeded and grated sea salt and pepper 2 garlic cloves crushed 1/2 -3/4 cup grated tasty cheese (parmesan, cheddar, manchego)
Roberson y by Glenn Photograph
Sauté the onions on low in a covered pan for about five minutes until softened. Add in two cups boiling water and the quinoa and cover. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes then turn off and leave covered until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Mix in two crushed garlic cloves, zaatar or oregano and thyme, mint, parsley, lemon juice, and pistachios and set aside. Mix the passata with two garlic cloves, grated jalapeno, and bit of salt and pepper. Spread on the bottom of a 9-inch backing pan. Cut peppers in half lengthwise starting at the stem and clean out seeds and white membranes. Fill each half with the quinoa mixture heaping it over the top and place each in the baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese if using and bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes until the pepper is softened. Serve warm with the sauce. Serves four.
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LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | JULY 2021
Jill Dahan lives in Cornelius and is the author of Starting Fresh! Recipes for Life. You can learn more about her at www.jilldahan.com. To learn more about her nonprofit, Sunninghill Jill Kids, visit www.sunninghilljillkids.org.
