Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 package quinoa
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup organic celery, diced
• 1/4 cup organic carrots, diced
• 1 clove organic garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil, minced
• 1/4 cup pepitas/raw pumpkin seeds, roasted
• 2 organic red bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 2 organic green bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 cup marinara sauce (homemade or bottled)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Prepare quinoa according to package directions and set aside. The quinoa can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and stored in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.
3. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, oregano and basil; cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
5. Add the quinoa and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.
6. Mix in the pepitas and season with salt and cayenne.
7. Lay pepper halves, cut-side up, on a lightly oiled sided pan or ovenproof ceramic dish.
8. Fill each pepper with a portion of the quinoa mixture.
9. Add just enough water to the pan to cover the bottom. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
10. Bake in the preheated oven 35-40 minutes or until peppers are tender.
11. Top with marinara sauce and serve one red and one green pepper half to each person.