Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Roasted Peppers

I've been on a bit of a red pepper kick lately. Maybe it's because their beautiful, vibrant color drags me out of the depths of winter? I'm not sure. But whatever the reason is, red peppers are so great for you - a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Not to mention that they're easy on the eyes! 

For a moment today, I reflected on how nature really tells us what to eat. It's hard not to be drawn to beautiful reds, blues, yellows, and oranges (considerably harder when cookies are in the background, but we have to try!) One of the things I've enjoyed most since I've been cooking more is cooking with simple, beautiful ingredients. I'm in no way an advocate for expensive, exotic ingredients and overly complex, ostentatious recipes. I believe that the simple things in life are truly the best (health, meaningful work, good food, friends, family, and plenty of love). Really, what more could you need? As a doctor, you are quickly reminded each day that you are so lucky simply to be walking and breathing. 

With that said, I decided to have a go at stuffed red peppers. The stuffing is quinoa, onions, pineapple, and sausage. This recipe is very easy to put together - essentially 5 ingredients in total. Mix everything up, stuff the peppers, and bake for 30 minutes. When this comes out of the oven, the sausage will be perfectly browned and the top layer of quinoa slightly crispy - it's absolutely wonderful to dig into! 

Here we go: 

Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Roasted Peppers

makes 4 stuffed pepper halves

Ingredients

2 large bell peppers, halved and seeded

1 small white onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 links Italian sausage, medium sized

1/2 cup diced pineapple 

2 cups quinoa, cooked ahead of time

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat; add 1 tsp olive oil

2. Add sausage links and brown. Turn heat down slightly and cook sausages until nearly cooked through (approximately 5 minutes)

3. Remove sausage from pan and cut into bite sized pieces

4. Add garlic to the saucepan (be careful not to burn the garlic - make sure your heat isn't too high). Cook until fragrant. Add quinoa, onion, pineapple, and sausage

5. Mix to combine and cook for a few minutes to heat through. While waiting, halve and seed  2 large red bell peppers

6. Place red bell peppers on a baking sheet. Divide filling evenly among the peppers

7. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes until sausage and quinoa are toasty and browned

8. Enjoy! 

Thanks for reading. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

-R

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