Quinoa: My Newest Obsession

A perk of unemployment is that I have become a chef of sorts for my Mom and sister.  It's really quite fun--I love going to the market and buying curious looking foods and fresh fruits and veggies on a daily basis, and I find that cooking is actually quite relaxing! Plus this new cookbook I have has yet to yield a disappointi

ng meal.  

My newest discovery in the grocery store is Quinoa, a deliciously scrumptious grain that is perfect for all us vegetarians/pescatarians/non-meat-eaters-for-whatever-reasons out there because it is a complete grain...meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids and has 6g of protein per serving.  What's even cooler than Quinoa's "super grain" status is it's History and durability.  The box will tell you that Quinoa was considered sacred in the Inca culture, and the Inca's called it the Mother Grain.  

Quinoa has been growing in the Andes Mountains for more than 5,000 years, and has learned quite well how to adapt to the Andes' climate of extreme heat, freezing cold, and minimal rainfall.  The greatest exporters of Quinoa are Peru and Bolivia.  How cool would it be to go to South America and see those vast fields of Quinoa?!  I doubt that this tiny photograph can begin to do justice to it's unique beauty.

Until I actually venture over to South America, I suppose I will have to settle for eating copious amounts of their delicious signature grain.  I told you, I'm obsessed!! Below is a super yummy recipe for Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers so you all can jump on the Quinoa band wagon too.  And if you don't like red peppers (à la my Padre) the Quinoa mixture is equally delicious on it's own!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 Tbs. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup QUINOA

3 large carrots, grated (1.5 cups)

1.5 cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided

4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft.  Add cumin and garlic, saute 1 minute.  Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes.  Cook 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water.  Cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.  Stir in 1 cup cheese.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.  Pour liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover and sprinkle each pepper with remaining cheese.  Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Drizzle each pepper with pan juices before serving.