Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Peppers
INGREDIENTS:
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1/2 cup red quinoa
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1 cup water
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3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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3/4 teaspoon cumin
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1/4 teaspoon paprika
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2/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
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1/2 yellow onion, diced
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1/2 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
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1/4 cup salsa
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1 ear raw sweet corn (kernels removed from the cobb)
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3 medium bell peppers
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6 slices provolone cheese
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Greek yogurt, sliced avocado and fresh lime juice for topping
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Set aside a non-stick pyrex baking dish.
2. Cut each bell pepper in half and clean out all seeds. You want each bell pepper to be deep enough to hold the mixture like a bowl. Place the cleaned bell pepper halves open side up in the baking dish.
3. Combine the dry quinoa and spices in a skillet over medium-high heat to toast, stirring and shaking the skillet frequently to avoid burning. Once you smell the fragrant aroma, add the water, turn the heat up to high and let the mixture simmer until the quinoa is cooked (you will see white rings around each seed).
4. Meanwhile drain and rinse the black beans and cut the corn off the cobb.
5. Add the diced onions to the quinoa and continue to cook until onions are translucent.
6. Once the quinoa and onion mixture is finished, combine the quinoa and onion mixture with the black beans a corn. Add the salsa and mix well.
7. Spoon the quinoa mixture evenly into each pepper half and pack down. Cover each pepper half with one thin slice of cheese.
8. Bake at 375F, covered with tinfoil for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove tinfoil and broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown.
9. Remove from oven, top with Greek yogurt, avocado slices and a spritz of fresh squeezed lime juice.
