Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog: Food Network's Healthy Eats: Healthy Recipes, Weight Loss Tips & Nutrition Information

Meet the tastiest, most nutritious Thanksgiving appetizer around. This easy dish comes together in under an hour and makes delicious use of beautiful poblano peppers. Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers from Mexico, and their spiciness helps to bring out their taste. If you aren’t a fan of spicy foods you can always use bell peppers instead. Flax seeds and veggies offer meaty texture and flavor while quinoa and chickpeas pile on the protein. I added a touch of marjoram for garnish as it adds extra flavor, plus pretty flecks of color. Serve hot out of the oven or bake ahead of time and reheat before your guests arrive. If you have any extra cooked quinoa leftover try my tasty little Quinoa Bites, which make great hors d’oeuvres and are the perfect finger food for kids to munch on.

Quinoa-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients
4 large poblano peppers
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup quinoa, uncooked
5 button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup salsa
¼ cup Barlean’s ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rub peppers with olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Roast until slightly blackened and softened, 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook quinoa according to package.
Remove peppers from oven; set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Discard pepper skins; slice a small hole in each pepper to remove seeds.
While peppers cool, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add mushrooms, corn, chickpeas, sea salt and pepper; cook for 3-4 minutes or until fully heated through. Add in cooked quinoa.
Prepare a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff each pepper with quinoa filling and place in the prepared baking dish. Cover with salsa, flax seeds and fresh marjoram. Return to the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 more minutes.
Remove from oven; set aside to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegetarian
Serves 4