Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

It is not often that my b/f requests that I cook something specific but this week he reminded me that I haven't made anything with quinoa in quite some time. The firs thing that I thought about was stuffed bell peppers. I tried to keep the ingredients similar to the stuffed bells I grew up on but meatless. Quinoa and mushrooms mixed with tomato paste has a very similar texture to ground beef which makes the perfect bell pepper stuffing. I really enjoyed cutting into the crunchy bell pepper, what a tasty dinner! 

Ingredients

Served with Spinach Feta Scone/Bread

Makes 4 Servings

1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water 
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano + 1 tsp oregano
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup diced mushrooms
2 tbs olive oil
4 bell peppers, tops cut and seeds removed
4 slices of fresh mozzarella

1. Place the vegetable broth and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in the quinoa with a dash of olive and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 425 and while the quinoa is cooking prep the bell peppers and chop the vegetables. 
4. Bring the olive oil to medium heat in a saute pan and saute the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms, 1 tsp or oregano, red pepper and tomato paste and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.
6. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and add the the onion and garlic mixture, cover and cook for just a few minutes. 
7 Fill each bell pepper with the quinoa mixture, top with cheese and place in a small baking dish, bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!