Quinoa, Black Bean & Soyrizo Stuffed Peppers

Well, September arrived & so did summer! It has been quite hot here in San Diego & there is no sign of relief in the forecast. Unlike most parts of the country, it takes a bit of time for summer to wind down in here Southern California, & believe it or not September & October can be the hottest times of the year.

For now, I must make the most of the warm days & summer produce. I’ve had an abundance of peppers arrive in my CSA delivery ~ red, yellow, green, orange…just about every hue! I haven’t been getting very creative, mostly chopping them up & adding them into salads, quick roasting on the stove, or quite frankly ignoring them all together (especially the green ones).

As the green peppers had been awaiting some much-needed attention, I scratched my mind for how to prepare them…fajitas? Tacos? Pizza? Of course, there is also the old standby ~ stuffed peppers ~ & I eventually settled on that & decided to fill them with soyrizo, quinoa, black beans, onion, garlic & cilantro. I also added in a bit of packaged vegan “cheese” for good measure. To maximize the color & flavor profile, ( & clean out the crisper) I used both green & red peppers & love how beautifully they turned out. The flavor difference is subtle, with the red peppers being a bit sweeter of a carrier to the spice mixture within & the green peppers milder. Either way, the result was delicious.

QUINOA, BLACK BEAN & SOYRIZO STUFFED PEPPERS Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan Recipe type: Main Dish Cuisine: Vegan Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 green bell peppers

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 tbsp neutral oil

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• ½ yellow onion, fine dice

• ½ package soyrizo

• ½ can of black beans rinsed & drained.

• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

• ¼ cup vegan shredded cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off of the peppers, & remove the seeds. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain & cool. Set aside.

3. In a large chef's pan heat 1 Tbsp safflower oil In a large chef's pan saute garlic & onion over medium-high until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add soyrizo & cook until heated through. Fold in black beans.

4. To a large mixing bowl add 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1 cup soyrizo mixture, cilantro & vegan cheese. Mix well.

5. Stuff each pepper with the soyrizo & quinoa mixture, & place peppers open side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with vegan cheese.

6. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until heated through & cheese is melted.

Any ideas for peppers other than filling them with stuff? Would love to know your ideas. I am always looking for a bit of variety in my arsenal. But any kind of stuffed pepper is a great last resort. And these are quite delicious if I do say so. Here’s to the last days of summer!