Stuffed Peppers with Mediterranean-Spiced Quinoa

By dtrumble

6 SmartPoints

Protein-packed quinoa gets great flavor from kalamata olives, pesto, chickpeas and feta.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin
• 1 small uncooked 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)cooked 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)chickpeas (15 oz), rinsed and drained
• 1 1⁄2 Tbsp store-bought pesto sauce
• 1 ⁄3cup (s)crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
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.
Step 4
When quinoa is done cooking, stir in olives, chickpeas and pesto.
Step 5
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.