Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Looking for a tasty new addition to your Meatless Mondays repertoire? Or Tuesdays, as it were . . . this is a great vegetarian dish that is packed with protein and flavor. And, if you nix the bread crumbs, it's gluten free. This recipe is a spin off of the Quinoa Mac & Cheese recipe previously posted and works great as a hearty side dish or as a main course.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 10 grape tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. Typically, you combine 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water to a sauce pan and bring that to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the germ separates from the seed (which looks like a white thread curling around the seed).
3. In a separate pan, sauté the onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Whisk together the egg, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and hot sauce in a large bowl.
5. Fold in the cooked quinoa, vegetable mixture, and grated cheese. Mix well.
6. Apply a light coating of cooking spray to both sides of the bell pepper halves.
7. Spoon the quinoa mixture into each of the peppers, pressing the stuffing down firmly.
8. Place each of the filled peppers onto a greased cookie sheet.
9. Top with panko bread crumbs. Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for a little more heat.
10. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until are golden brown.