Oven-Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees (bottom-top fan setting) and let it heat up. Place the quinoa in a fine-pored strainer and wash it thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain. Transfer the drained quinoa to a dry pot and lightly toast it over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes until a nutty aroma spreads. Then, add the hot vegetable broth, cover, and cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the cooked quinoa from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes to steam.

While the quinoa is resting, finely dice the dry onions and garlic into small pieces. Add extra virgin olive oil to a wide pan and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onions to the pan and sauté until they become translucent and soft. At this stage, add a pinch of ground coriander to increase the depth of flavor and mix. Finally, add the diced garlic and continue the sautéing process for a short time.

Dice the cherry tomatoes into small cubes and coarsely slice the pitted black olives. Add both to the onion and garlic mixture in the pan along with the dried oregano, sauté for 2-3 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked and steamed quinoa into the vegetable mixture in the pan. Finely chop the fresh parsley and add it to the quinoa mixture along with lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper, mixing the entire mixture homogeneously.

Wash and dry the bell peppers. Cut off the top parts as lids and carefully clean out the seeds and white inner membranes. Lightly salt the inside of the peppers. Fill the peppers with the quinoa mixture you prepared, pressing down lightly on top. Close the lids of the peppers again and place them in the baking dish so they stand upright. Cook in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes until the peppers soften and the tops are lightly browned, and serve warm.