Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Stuffed Capsicum




Capsicum / Green Bell Peppers - 4
Cooked Quinoa / Couscous / Brown Rice - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Yellow Onions - 1/2 cup, chopped
Garlic - 1 clove - minced
Jalapeno / Green Chili - 2, finely chopped
Tomato Paste - 1 tbsp.
Salt
Fresh Shrimps or Mushrooms, if making vegetarian - a handful
Cashew nuts - a handful, (optional)
Mozzarella / Cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup, grated


Preheat oven to 375F.

Wash and dry the peppers well. Cut the tops off each pepper; pull out the stem portion and seeds.  Clean out the peppers so no seeds remain and the center ribs are carved out to make room for the stuffing. If pepper does not stand up straight, slice a little off the bottom of the pepper to level it out. Place the peppers on a foil lined baking dish.

Heat a skillet, add olive oil, garlic, green chili and chopped onions. Cook till the onion becomes soft.

Add the mushrooms or shrimps and and cook till they are just done. Add the tomato paste, salt, cashewnuts and cooked quinoa and mix well. Remove from heat.

Divide into 4 portions and stuff the capsicums with this mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes till the capsicums are cooked and the cheese is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.