Quinoa and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers


Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 pieces turkey sausage (favorite variety)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ bunch (about 10 big leaves) Swiss chard or kale, chopped
1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup goat milk feta, cubed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 bell peppers
1 (28-ounce can) stewed tomatoes
½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a medium sized saucepan, add water, quinoa, and salt. Once it comes to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook, 20 minutes or until water is completely absorbed. Then remove from heat to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add oil. Cook turkey sausages until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove, and allow to cool. In the same pan, over medium heat, add garlic, Swiss chard or kale, and sauté until wilted. Remove from pan once cooked, and place into a large mixing bowl along with all liquid in the pan to cool.

Next, cut cooked and cooled sausage into bite sized pieces, and add to mixing bowl. Add parsley and feta. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well. This recipe can be left as is, as a
warm quinoa salad, or can be stuffed into peppers as follows.

Preheat oven to 400ËšF. Remove top and seeds of peppers, and slice bottom of pepper (making sure not to cut a whole in the bottom) so that it will sit standing up in the baking dish. Spoon
quinoa sausage mixture into pepper cavities. Add stewed tomatoes and basil directly over the peppers and along the bottom of the dish. Cover entire dish with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

Tip: To assemble the day before, follow all of the steps above short of putting it in the oven, and store covered with foil in fridge. Once you are ready to bake, allow the stored dish to come to
room temperature first before baking. This will reduce cooking time.

Recipe Property of Robin Simpson