Stuffed Peppers With Mediterranean-Spiced Quinoa

 Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin

1 small onion(s), yellow, diced

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp minced garlic

14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, Italian-style, undrained

1 cup(s) quinoa, rinsed if indicated on package

1 cup(s) water

1 tsp table salt

4 medium sweet red pepper(s)

10 medium olive(s), kalamata, chopped

1 cup(s) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 Tbsp store-bought pesto sauce

1/3 cup(s) crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.

• Heat oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally until onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook, stirring, 30 seconds more. Add tomatoes and their liquid, quinoa, water and table salt to pan; stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, slice top off each pepper and remove core, ribs and seeds; reserve tops for another use. Make a thin slice across bottom of each pepper so it sits flat; place on prepared baking sheet.

• When quinoa is done cooking, stir in olives, chickpeas and pesto.

• Spoon about 1 cup quinoa mixture into each pepper; bake, uncovered, 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle each with 4 teaspoons feta; return to oven and continue cooking until feta is slightly melted, about 5 minutes more. Yield 1 stuffed pepper per serving.

Course: main meals

PointsPlus™ Value: 7

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 60 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy