Stuffed Bell Peppers with Quinoa and Grass-Fed Beef

 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion
2 yellow or green zucchini
1 large garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1lb 100% ground grass fed beef (10% fat)
2 tablespoons red wine or tomato paste
Sea salt
Ground pepper
3 whole bell peppers, cut in half and seeded
2 cups of marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Prepare quinoa ahead of time by rinsing 1/4 cup in cold water. Place in a medium saucepan with water just covering the quinoa. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered until liquid is absorbed. In about 20-30 minutes quinoa will be cooked, allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a cast iron pan, sautéed the onion and zucchini in olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with 1/2 teaspoon oregano,1/4 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, then add in the garlic and cooked quinoa. Mix together and remove from heat. Place the quinoa mixture into a separate bowl. In the same pan add the ground beef and the remaining oregano and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add in 2 tablespoons of red wine. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and then add in 3/4 of the quinoa mixture. Mix well and remove from heat.

In a medium baking dish, place the 6 bell pepper halves and stuff each with the beef mixture. You will have leftovers of the beef, you can either stuff additional peppers or save for a different meal.

Cover the peppers with your favorite marinara sauce and place in the preheated oven covered for an hour. Once the peppers are soft, they are done. Top with your favorite cheese and serve.

  

I’m use to having stuffed peppers prepared with the meat raw and then baked. That is the mistake I made but in the end it still tasted delicious.The extra sauce help keep the meat moist.

I also forgot to buy tomato paste and saw an open bottle of red wine, I figured it won’t make the beef tomato-y but it will have a delicious wine flavor. It worked out perfectly. This is the perfect comfort meal if you are looking for something a bit healthier and gluten free!

Enjoy,
Fallon