Quinoa-Stuffed Pepper

Ingredients

• 6 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow are best)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon & herb ready-to-eat quinoa pouch
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 small courgette
• 100g (roughly) chestnut mushrooms (a sub for any other mushrooms)
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your grill to a medium heat, and leave to heat up.
2. Dice the onion, and saute in a saucepan along with the olive oil on a low heat until soft and translucent.
3. While the onion is cooking, place the bell peppers under the grill on their side until slightly charred. This should take 2-3 minutes. Flip the peppers over, and repeat for the other side. Remove from the grill and leave to cool slightly.
4. Turn off the grill, and preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
5. Crush or finely chop the garlic clove, and add the onion along with the chilli flakes. Fry for a further 2-3 minutes before dicing and adding the courgette. Mix well.
6. Slice the mushrooms, and when the courgettes are soft, add to the pan. Season well with salt and pepper.
7. Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.
8. Slice the tops off each pepper, then remove the seeds and pith. Place onto tray (you may need to level off the bottom to prevent the peppers from falling).
9. Add the lemon and herb quinoa to the vegetable mixture, and combine well.
10. Spoon the mixture into the peppers, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and juicy.
11. Remove from the oven, and serve as a meal or a side.