Stuffed peppers with Quinoa

Talking of healthy food, how can I go without talking about a great grain called Quinoa? Grain basically from Peru, has won hearts all over the world for it nutritional quality. Very high in iron... about 12% to 20% iron in a single serving... can anything beat that? 5 to 7% protein and 10- 15% carbs. Easy to cook and will blend with almost any cuisine. you can make upma or puliogare out of it.. just use this grain in lieu of rice/rava.  It is basically very bland, making it very absorbing of other flavours.  Here goes the recipe

Prep time: 25 mins [includes quinoa cooking time]

Cook time: 15 - 20 mins

Servings: upto 4

Ingredients:

1. Bell peppers - 4, any colour of your choice, just make sure they are round and have some space to be stuffed and stand upright.
2. Quinoa - 1 1/2 cup
3. Cranberry raisins/ regular raisins - 1/4 cup
4. Spinach - 1 bunch washed and finely chopped
5. Garlic - 2 pods grated/minced or 1/2 tsp paste
6. Spring onions - 1 bunch, finely chopped
7. Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp
8. Slat - to taste
9. Grated cheese - a handful, any cheese on hand  [optional]
10. Oil - 2 tsp
11. Water - 3 1/2 cups to cook Quinoa

Method:

• Wash quinoa and cook it in a vessel by adding water, 1/2 tsp salt and a few drops of oil till it is well done. That is, you will be able to see white sprouts kind of lines on the grain once it is cooked. It takes about 17:00 mins to cook.
• In a pot, heat oil and add garlic and saute for a few seconds.
• Add sping onions and a pinch of salt and saute for a few seconds.
• Add carnberry raisins and saute for a few seconds.
• Add Spinach and close the lid on the pot till all spinach wilts. Now add salt enough for the dish and add pepper.
• Add cooked quinoa and mix all the ingredients well to let it stand for a minute.
• Add the cheese now and stir for a few minutes. turn the stove off. Save a little cheese to top the peppers.
• Now chop the top of the peppers, the part where you see the stem. Remove all the seeds and stuff the peppers upto the brim with the quinoa mixture and top it with a little cheese. Repeat the  process till all the peppers are filled. Set them on a baking tray.
• Preheat oven at 375F and place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, till all the cheese on top melts and peppers become soft and cooked.

Serving suggestion:

A ranch dip goes excellent with this pepper stuffing. 

Tips:

If the pepper does not stand upright, cut a very thin slice below the pepper to make it straight. keep in mind not to make a hole while cutting the bottom. By chance you do, do not panic, just take a section from the cut part and place it inside the pepper to cover the hole and then stuff it.

If you don't have an oven, place these peppers in a pan add a little oil and place a lid over it. Cook it on a low flame. Or in a big vessel, pour water till 1/4 of it's capacity, place a pan which can cover the mouth of the vessel. Place the peppers on this pans, cover with lid and cook till the pepper gets soft. After 15 to 20 mins, check if the water has evaporated and pour some more water in to the vessel.