Quinoa stuffed peppers

Dietitian's tip:

Stuffed peppers are often made with ground meat, but this version is a hearty mix of quinoa, walnuts and veggies.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup uncooked quinoa
2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
3. 1 cup chopped zucchini
4. 2 cups chopped tomato
5. 1/2 cup chopped onion
6. 1 stalk celery, chopped
7. 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
8. 3 garlic cloves, chopped
9. 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
10. 1 teaspoon salt
11. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12. 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
13. 2 large bell peppers, cut in half

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 F. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan to medium-high heat. Add oil, zucchini, tomatoes, onion, celery, walnuts, garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to medium after 2 minutes. Once vegetables are tender, add cooked quinoa, salt, pepper and cheese.

Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet. Place 1/2 cup of the quinoa and vegetable mixture into each pepper half. Cover with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes until peppers are cooked to desired doneness.

Created by the executive wellness chef and registered dietitians at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program.