Peruvian Food You Need To Try - Quinoa

Since moving to Lima, one of the things we try to do every week is include quinoa in one of our meals.  Lucas and I love to tour restaurants and try every of variation of the dish, however, our favorite is innovating in our own kitchen.  Identifying the next superfood is all the rage now, and personally, this versatile seed tops my list.  This pseudocereal  is packed with protein, calcium and iron, among other nutrients, and is absolutely delicious in any form - breakfast, side dish, main course or even dessert.  It's one of those foods that just lends itself to experimentation.  So without any further ado, I present to you our latest creation:   Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 

Serves 4 

4 bell peppers
2 cups of quinoa
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
3/4 cup of cream
2 tablespoons of crushed peanuts
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring quinoa to a boil in water with vegetable stock and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain quinoa set aside.

Cut the tops off of the peppers and clean seeds out.  Precook peppers 15-20 minutes at 430°F (220°C).  The peppers should be soft, but not so soft that they lose their shape.

In a saucepan, cook onions and garlic with olive oil until golden.  Add salt, pepper, peanuts and quinoa to the saucepan and mix well.  Add cilantro, cream and cheese and mix.  Taste and add more salt if needed.

Stuff peppers with quinoa mix and top with the rest of the pepperjack cheese.  Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.