Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 cup packed baby spinach, thinly sliced
2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cooked quinoa, see instructions below
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 green bell peppers, tops removed, cored and seeded
1/4 cup toasted chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tblsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, red bell pepper, and carrots for 5 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add spinach and parsley; sauté for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Stir in quinoa, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stuff green peppers with quinoa mixture, dividing equally and gently packing the mixture down. Arrange upright in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Cover and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour or until peppers are tender.

Tip: Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring and shaking pan constantly, for 3-4 minutes or until golden and fragrant. Immediately transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Cook Quinoa:

Combine one part quinoa with scant two parts water or broth. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat but leave covered on burner another 5-10 minutes, depending on desired texture. Quinoa cooks up to about three times its original size.