Beautiful and delicious, quinoa and veggie stuffed peppers make a colorful and healthy side dish or the perfect vegetarian meal.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut the peppers in half long ways. Remove the core, clean out seeds, rinse and pat dry. Place peppers in a large casserole dish and brush lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Place 2 cups water and 1 cup of rinsed quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
In a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onion for approximately 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until spinach wilts. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked quinoa and the cheddar cheese to the vegetable mixture and combine well.
When peppers are finished baking, remove from oven and fill each with the quinoa and spinach mixture. Place back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and enjoy!