You know how they say, a little wine in the food a little wine for the cook. That is just what I did when I uncorked the bottle of Robibero 2012 Cabernet Franc.
A young wine that I feel needs some time in the bottle. It had some nuances of voilets and plum with flavors of black berry, blueberry and some herbal notes on the finish with a distant hint of pepper . This wine won a double gold medal at the Hudson Valley Wine Competition. There were 100 cases produced and at the time of writing this post there were 56 cases left. Wine retails for $19.99. My suggestion would be to pick up at least two bottles so you can see how the wine ages.
Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
Note: this makes dinner for a crowd. It also freezes well.
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1lb fresh spinach
2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained and reserve liquid
2 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed
2 cups quinoa
7 large carrots, grated
3 cups grated Jack Cheese
10 large bell peppers halved
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and add onions. Cook 5 – 10 minutes until onions are soft. Add cumin and garlic, saute 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. You might have to add this in batches as the fresh spinach shrinks, add more. Cook about 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, reserved liquid from tomatoes (should be about 2 cups) and 1 cup of red wine (Robibero 2012 Cabernet Franc). Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease (spray) baking dish. Stuff peppers and cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and bake 15 more minutes. Enjoy!
Note: I only cooked 5 peppers and froze the rest for future dinners.