Carrot-Ginger Quinoa Pepperjacks

I was definitely in the Halloween spirit this week, but not feeling terribly original I guess. First I made a snakewich (concept stolen from Better Homes and Gardens) and now I've gone and robbed pepperjacks from a blogger named spabettie. But can you blame me? Really, they're just so cute. I couldn't help myself. And the quinoa cooked in the carrot-ginger juice tastes really fresh and delicious. Plus it's good for you (that was just a happy accident).

CARROT-GINGER QUINOA PEPPER JACKS

Yield: 2

1/2 cup dry black quinoa

1 cup carrot-ginger juice (5 carrots + 1-inch piece ginger, juiced)

1 cup cooked black beans

2 orange bell peppers

sea salt

spinach salad for serving (optional)

1.      Combine quinoa and carrot-ginger juice in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

2.      Preheat oven to 350º F.

3.      Hollow out and carve the peppers to resemble jack-o-lanterns.

4.      Combine cooked quinoa with black beans and salt to taste.

5.      Fill peppers and bake for 30 minutes.

6.      Serve over spinach salad if desired.

from spabettie

carrots and ginger

juicing carrots and ginger

If you don't have a juicer, see if you can find carrot or
carrot-ginger juice in the refrigerated section at your
store. If you can find plain carrot juice, you can always
grate some ginger and squeeze the juice in yourself.

carrot-ginger juice

black quinoa

I think this would also taste/look good with black forbidden rice.

quinoa and carrot-ginger juice in pan

cooked quinoa with black beans mixed in

cutting my pepper jack

I went a little overboard with my cutouts.
They should be much more dainty, especially the
mouth (unless you're actually trying to make it look
like your pepper jack is throwing up quinoa).

filling a pepper

filled pepper jacks, before baking

baked

See what I mean, the one on the left looks like
he just ate expired clams from a gas station.

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