Carrot Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks – delightfully ghoulish Pepper Jacks – jack o lanterns carved from peppers. kids of ALL AGES will love these!
Carrot Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks
See more Pepper Jacks here – Pepper Jack Recipe Collection.
This is Halloween, this is Halloween. Halloween, Halloween!
That song will be in my head all day now…
You know we love our stuffed peppers, right?
Today I have another stuffed pepper, and another play on words. These jack o lantern peppers are fun (I make them every year), but the new filling is what I’m excited about!
Doesn’t that one look like a skeleton?
So. This filling. I started by juicing carrots and ginger.
Then. I cooked the quinoa with the carrot ginger juice.
I know, I know. I made that face too.
Asparagus Mushroom Scramble Pepper Jacks
Carrot Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks
makes two stuffed peppers
dairy, egg, soy, oil, and gluten free, vegan
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup dry quinoa (black for Halloween theme)
1 cup fresh carrot ginger juice
1 cup cooked black beans
2 orange bell peppers
pinch sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
*Juice 5 carrots and 1 inch piece ginger.
Combine quinoa and juice, bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, carve your peppers.
Combine cooked quinoa with black beans, salt to taste, fill peppers.
Bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes. Serve over spinach salad.
*No juicer? Buy a bottle of carrot ginger juice – generally found in the chilled beverage section.
I want to cook all quinoa in juice from now on – it really adds vibrant flavor! These had a warm sweetness from the ginger and carrot, which balanced the pepper flavor well. It’s just an added bonus that they are whimsical and get me singing songs from a Tim Burton movie.
Do you carve pumpkins for Halloween? If not, perhaps a pepper?
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ABOUT KRISTINA SLOGGETT: Kristina is spabettie! She founded spabettie in 2010 to share her vegetarian recipes. Vegetarian quickly became vegan.
As the sole recipe developer and photographer at spabettie, Kristina turned her love of cooking and creativity into an extremely fun and challenging way to spend her days – sharing just how flavorful and vibrant vegan food is!
She loves dachshunds, Portland, Hawaii, drummers – well, one drummer – and travel.
printable Carrot Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks recipe:
- ½ cup dry quinoa (black for Halloween theme)
- 1 cup fresh carrot ginger juice
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 2 orange bell peppers
- sea salt
- *Juice 5 carrots and 1 inch piece ginger.
- Combine quinoa and juice, bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, carve your peppers. Combine cooked quinoa with black beans, salt to taste, fill peppers.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over spinach salad.
- *No juicer? Buy a bottle of carrot ginger juice - generally found in the chilled beverage section.
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
heather says
beautiful peppers, beautiful post!
spabettie says
thank you, Heather – these were pretty fun to make!
celyn says
So adorable!
spabettie says
thank you, Celyn! by the way, have I told you I love your blog name!?? 😀
celyn says
Thank you! My blog is vegan giveaways for the Vegan Month of Food, so come have a look if you like. 🙂
spabettie says
oh my gosh Oh My Gosh OH MY GOSH, I’m looking at today’s post, is that top photo a dachshund?? or a dachshund mix? sure looks like one 😉 anyway, I have moved your blog in my reader to my favorites folder, so I don’t miss any more posts (I’ve been SO behind in reading, especially with all the new vegan mofo additions!). I’m not entering today’s giveaway – I have one of these already!! (purchased at Vida Vegan!) 😀
hihorosie says
ha ha! You’re so creative! There’s some Halloween spirit!
spabettie says
aren’t they fun!? 😀
bitt says
so adorable!
spabettie says
thank you!! 😀
Jenn @ Peas and Crayons says
just told one of my bffs to make these! =) hollerrr!
spabettie says
YAY! I hope they do – they’re fun!
Jenna says
we made these for dinner tonight!! the kids all loved them and we did too, wonderful flavors from the juice in the quinoa, you are so crafty!!
spabettie says
thank you, Jenna! glad you enjoyed!
Janessa says
So great! Love these!
spabettie says
thanks, girl!
oh HEY! remember you had a dream about me Vida Vegan weekend (I was a scuba diver!?) I had a dream about YOU last night!! we were mushroom hunting. but they turned into pumpkins, the way only dreams can. 😉
we should get a group together for dinner sometime when Departure rolls out the new vegan menu!! XO
Janessa says
Pumpkin mushrooms, adorable!
Yes, vegan Departure dinner field trip soon! Absolutely!
Niki M. says
This is seriously adorable! When I first saw it, I didn’t think they were real! So cute
spabettie says
thank you!! 🙂 I know, you are not the first person to say that! I guess some of them DO look like they could be ceramic or something!
Callie @ Callieflower Kitchen says
Wow, these are so adorable! I actually hate peppers, but there are so cute I would totally make them for other people 🙂
spabettie says
exactly! and you can eat the stuffing. it’s still easier than a pumpkin! 😉
Vu Huynh says
Can you enable highlighting on your website? I would like to copy/paste the recipe for my mother without having to retype it. Thanks!
spabettie says
I just emailed it to you! 😀
SaraJane says
These might be the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Love it!
spabettie says
thank you, SaraJane! they’re currently third place in the Yummly contest, I would LOVE your vote if you haven’t already? 🙂
http://www.yummly.com/blog/2011/10/contest-finalist-stuffed-pepper-jack-o-lanterns/
Ashia Mann says
really? its that easy?! I have the ingredients and im ready to assemble but im afraid that in the oven they wont stay so bright orange and perky. the ones you photographed have been baked already…?
Thanks for the adorable recipe, either way 😉
spabettie says
they will, or they should! some of these photos, YES – they’re already baked – the ones on the spinach, for sure – can you see how they’re kindof “softer” looking? 😀 they definitely “wilt” a bit, but the color always stays nice! you are so welcome, enjoy!!
Alexis @ persia lou says
Thanks for sharing this! They are adorable and sounds delicious. I have never thought about cooking quinoa in juice. What a great idea! Time to pull out the juicer!
spabettie says
hi Alexis! after doing this, I don’t know if I’ll cook quinoa any other way!! it was SO flavorful with the juice – oh my! hope you try it – enjoy!
Joanne says
Love it, love it , love it~!!! You can stuff anything in those pumpkins!
spabettie says
thank you, Joanne!! 🙂 they are pretty fun…
Hayley says
cooking quinoa in juice is such a good idea – THANK YOU!!
spabettie says
thank YOU! I love it, especially carrot but I have used apple and other fruit juices too! cooking with water? never! gives such great flavors, I’m glad you like it!
Andie says
found these from yummly, congratulations on the recipe win!! they are too cute and the recipe sounds amazing too – bookmarked and will enjoy these! (a turkey carving, perhaps? or holiday designs!)
spabettie says
thank you, Andie!! I was really excited to have made the top ten!! *little old me?? 😀 if you carve turkeys in these (or anything else) I MUST SEE!! 😀
Jessie says
so cool! congratulation on winning!
Julie H says
this quinoa filling is amazing! thanks for a great recipe, the jacks are very cute.
spabettie says
thank YOU, Julie! this is my favorite way to cook quinoa now!
Jenna says
these are SO cute, and sound great!
Sig says
SO cute!! cooking quinoa in juice sounds so good too – what a great idea!
Georgia says
lovely – I am new to your blog and love the recipes. besos, Georgia P.
spabettie says
thank you, Georgia!
Garo says
adorable! the filling sounds good too.
spabettie says
hello Garo!! thank you – these are always fun to make 🙂
Grandma Wrinkles says
too cute!
DMW
Baker Bettie says
These are adorable! Love, love, love.
spabettie says
thank you!!
Deborah says
I was searching for something vegan and gluten free for a Halloween potluck, and found these on the xgfx site. O wow they are so perfect! My one small issue is I don’t like ginger… 🙂 So would you recommend using straight carrot juice, or some other combo? Whatever the broth I know they will be a huge hit. 🙂 Thanks for the fantastic idea!
spabettie says
hi Deborah! yes, just leave out the ginger and use straight carrot juice – or really you can get creative and come up with any flavors you like! carrot is sort of sweet, gives a great flavor. orange is also good, I’ve cooked quinoa in coconut milk (so creamy!), all kinds of liquids! enjoy!
Annie says
Thanks for sharing at the Potluck, Kristina! Sooo cute!
Kristina Sloggett says
thank YOU, Annie – and CONGRATS! (I couldn’t leave a comment on the post…). we are on our honeymoon right now – sending you sweet wedding wishes! 🙂
Poppy says
Wow these are adorable and so fun!
Deborah Davis says
Hi Kristina,
I just hopped by from Virtual Vegan Linky to see your carrot-ginger quinoa pepper jacks. These are the cutest little treats for Halloween season. I can’t wait to make these for friends and family. How creative.
RG @ Astig Vegan says
This is so cute! I’m sure my nephews would love these!
Sandi (gfchopstix) says
Hi Kristina, love these! Stuffed peppers with rice are my favourite, but haven’t tried it with quinoa…yet. I’ve reblogged your recipe on my site. Thank you!
Kristina Sloggett says
glad you enjoyed enough to share a link, Sandi – thank you and cheers!