Our Veggie Kitchen

This was originally meant to be stuffed peppers, but it was a lot of work and the pepper flavor didn't penetrate the stuffing well. It became a pilaf. I like to make this on Sunday and have it for lunches during the week. Sometimes I heat it, but it's good cold too.



Quinoa Pilaf with Roasted Poblanos
2 fresh poblano peppers
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
4 cups water

Peppers: Set the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and put the peppers under the broiler (top rack), turning with tongs as the skin begins to scorch. Turn every 3-5 minutes. This should take about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the quinoa is cooking peel away the skins, scoop the seeds out and roughly chop the flesh. Set aside.

Mushrooms: Remove and discard the stems and slice the caps very thinly. Once sliced, roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside. Note: shitake mushrooms DO taste better, but they are pricey too. You can substitute the shitakes with cremini mushrooms with good results.

Pilaf: Add 1 tbs oil to a 2 quart sauce pan. Saute the onion over medium-high heat,until it starts to soften. Stir in the chopped mushrooms and cook until the onion and mushrooms are cooked through. Add the quinoa, stirring often until the quinoa has toasted a bit. Add the water, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until the moisture is absorbed. Stir in the chopped peppers and serve. Makes about 6 cups.

6 Servings: 270 cal (6g fat, 49g carbs, 9g protein)