Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil and additional for drizzling
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1 cup dry pre-washed quinoa
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups packed chopped kale
- ½ cup dried Montmorency tart cherries
- 1 (16 oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 green bell peppers, halved and deseeded
- ¼ cup walnut halves, chopped
- ¼ cup Montmorency tart cherry concentrate
Directions (makes 8 stuffed peppers)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large sauté pan that has a lid, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté shallot, garlic and mushrooms until softened; stir in Italian seasonings and quinoa continue to cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in vegetable broth and increase heat to high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cover with a lid to cook for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest covered for 5 minutes.
- Fluff quinoa mixture with a fork and stir in kale, tart cherries, and garbanzo beans. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Stuff quinoa mixture into bell pepper halves and place in a large baking dish or sheet pan. Drizzle stuffed peppers lightly with olive oil or coat with cooking spray. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- To prepare the tart cherry reduction, heat tart cherry concentrate in small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring as needed to achieve a warmed thick sauce.
- Once peppers have finished cooking, remove from oven and garnish with walnut halves and tart cherry reduction. Serve warm; enjoy as a vegetarian entree or side dish to a meaty main.
Credit to choosecherries.com