The toasty flavour of quinoa and the earthy smokiness of the excellent smoked Gouda from Lacombe’s Sylvan Star are highlighted in this simple recipe. There are infinite variations; add black beans, use a mixture of cheeses—a good way to use up bits of cheese left after party— leave out the bacon.
- 1 T canola oil
- ½ c chopped pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon) or 3 rashers bacon, chopped
- ½ medium yellow or red onion
- ½ sweet red pepper in small dice
- 1 bird chile hot pepper, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 med carrot, small dice
- 1 rib celery, small dice
- 2c cooked quinoa, farro or rice
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 green onion, chopped fine
- ½ c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- ½ c grated Sylvan Star smoked gouda
- sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper
- 6 medium Hungarian peppers (long yellow peppers)
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta, drain on paper towel and reserve. Add onion, carrot and celery to the pan. Cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.
Combine quinoa, herbs, green onion, cheese and reserved pancetta in a bowl. Add the cooked vegetables. Combine, and season to taste.
Cut a 1inch slit along the side of the pepper and remove the seeds and veins (yellow Hungarian peppers don’t have a lot). Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with the quinoa/cheese mixture. Place the filled peppers on a baking sheet covered in parchment. Bake about 15 minutes until the peppers begin to soften and the cheese is warmed through. Alternatively, cool then freeze. To eat frozen; cook at 350ºF for 40 minutes.