Quinoa stuffed Red Peppers

My sister, Debra, arrived this past Wed. around lunch time via the Marta train. I met her at the Medical Center Station and since we both had not eaten lunch and she's a light lunch eater I suggested we pop over to Sweet Tomatoes for an all you can eat lunch buffet. I don't feel quite as guilty eating at this type of buffet since I'm pigging out on greens and veggies. I just love this concept and the fact that I can walk out of the restaurant full but not stuffed and I've done my body good.

We came back to my house and sat on the patio and chatted until Brian got home and we popped open a bottle of wine and chatted more as the sun went down and the day began to cool off. It was very nice.

Along around 9:00 p.m. and an empty wine bottle later, we decided to eat. Earlier that day I prepared red bell peppers stuffed with a mixture of quinoa, polenta, crabmeat, ground pork, green onions, parmesean cheese and sage. I mixed about equal parts of cooked quinoa and polenta and added the other ingredients to mesh together into a nutritious and healthy stuffing.
Mixing the polenta along with the quinoa provides a nice flavor but best of all it becomes the glue that binds the stuffing together to really just mold this into every crevice and nook of odd shaped peppers.

I served this along with stewed fresh green beans that were simmered in a mix of onions, stewed canned tomatoes, garlic, thyme and tasso. I have not been able to get my hand's on tasso since leaving Louisiana, so I was so excited when I found it after moving to Atlanta. Tasso adds that little zing of flavor to cooking that really bring out a flavor only found in Louisiana style cooking. I've discovered that green beans and tasso were just meant to be together. The two flavors meld together and create such a harmonious marriage.