roasted peppers with quinoa

How to make roasted peppers with quinoa recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time 15 minutes, Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 romano or long red peppers, halved, cored and deseeded
2 large yellow peppers, halved, cored and deseeded
20 red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
200 g (7 oz) quinoa
1 onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch of nutmeg
50 g (2 oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
50 g (2 oz) raisins
50 g (2 oz) stoned dates, chopped
50 g (2 oz) shelled pistachio nuts
25 g (1 oz) flaked almonds, toasted, plus extra to garnish
2 spring onions, finely sliced
salt and pepper

Method:
Fill the red peppers with the yellow cherry tomatoes and the yellow peppers with the red tomatoes. Scatter over the cumin seeds, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Place in a preheated oven, 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4, for about 45 minutes or until tender and slightly blackened around the edges.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa several times in cold water. Pour into a pan with twice its volume of boiling water, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes. It is cooked when the seed is coming away from the germ. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to stand until all the water has been absorbed.

Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the spices, dried fruits and nuts and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, or until the fruits have softened, stirring frequently. Gently fold into the cooked quinoa.

Heap the quinoa on to 4 plates and top each with 1 red and 1 yellow pepper half. Sprinkle with the spring onions and extra flaked almonds and serve.

For quinoa-stuffed peppers, make the fruit and nut quinoa as above. Cut 10 cherry tomatoes into quarters and mix with the quinoa.

Spoon into the halved peppers and top with 150 g (5 oz) sliced reduced-fat feta or goats’ cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil, the cumin seeds and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Serve as above with salad leaves.

roasted peppers with quinoa