QUINOA stuffed peppers

 Let the record show that I will be using this as part of #13, #24, and #38 of my 39 things :)
Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that has been cultivated in the South American Andes for centuries.
The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a  good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites.The seeds are gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity.
All of 2010 I've tried new recipes with quinoa. This is one of my favorites. If you have any good ones please share with us!

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 ribs celery, finely chopped 
• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint of mushrooms
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa cooked
• 3 large carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 large red bell peppers,tops cut off
• 5 pepper tops finely chopped

Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside.
In a pan saute on medium heat, onions, peppers, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until translucent, then add mushrooms and cook for another 5 to7 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in large bowl with drained quinoa. Set aside and let cool.

Once mixture is cooled add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and egg.Mix together well, and fill peppers pressing tightly. Place peppers  in baking dish , sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese and bake at 400 until the top of the peppers are golden brown. By the way, they freeze well and one is the perfect lunch.