Quinoa and Walnut Stuffed Peppers.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians

Ingredients: 

• 3 bell peppers, 
• 1 cup canned red kidney beans, strained and washed, 
• 1/2 cup quinoa, 
• 1 red onion, finely diced, 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced,  
• 1 chilli, finely chopped, 
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts, 
• 2 tsp mustard seeds, 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, 
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 
• 2 tsp ground coriander, 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric, 
• 1 tsp dried oregano, 
• 1/2 tsp allspice, 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped, 
• juice of 1 lime. 

Method:

• Place a small pot on a hob. Add half a cup of quinoa with 1 cup of water (generally, cook quinoa with a 2/1 ratio of water to quinoa). Heat over a medium high flame until it begins to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is soft and all the water has been absorbed. Let cool.
• Cut peppers in half lengthways and wash out seeds and white pith.
• Place a pan over medium high heat. Add the whole spices (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds) along with the walnuts. 
• Toast for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant.
• Add 2 tbsp of oil along with the onion, garlic, and chilli. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and add to a large bowl.
• Once cool, add the quinoa and beans. Mix together with your hands, crushing the beans slightly. This will help to thicken the mixture.
• Add the ground coriander, turmeric, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, fresh coriander, and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Place the half peppers on a large baking tray and stuff each of them with the filling.
• Place in an oven preheated to 220 celsius for 15 minutes. (Cooking at this heat for this amount of time will cook the peppers thoroughly and they will retain a good bit of their texture. If you prefer a softer, sweeter pepper, cook at 190 for 25 to 30 minutes. However, cooking for too long will damage the structural integrity of the "pepper bowl" and it may not be able to hold the filling.)
• Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion.