Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa is an amazing and exceptional food.

Quinoa comes from the Andes Mountains of South America and is considered the “gold of the Incas.” It might very well be the “supergrain of the future.” In fact it is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard and is a seed. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain and is a complete protein, which means it has all nine essential amino acids. Quinoa is a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin. It is easy to digest and has a light crunchy and nutty flavor.

Tonight I stuffed peppers with this super food.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of chili flakes
6 ounces beer
3 cups cooked quinoa (follow the directions on the box and rinse the quinoa very well)
2 cups cooked black beans
1 bunch scallions
Grated zest of a lime
Chopped cilantro
Shredded soy cheese
4 peppers of your choice, cut in half and cleaned

Preparation
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions, red pepper and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and pepper flakes and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour the beer into the pan and cook until the beer disappears.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the quinoa, beans, scallions, lime zest and cilantro. (If you are using corn, add it now)
Place the hollowed out peppers on a baking sheet and fill each with the quinoa stuffing. If you desire add some grated soy cheese on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
Serve on top of a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce.
Happy, healthy eating.