Favorites! Black Bean, Mushroom and Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

I made this dish for the first time on Halloween.  I use yellow or orange peppers and when they are stuffed and topped with the tomato sauce, they looked just like bloody pumpkins.  Since it was Halloween, when Mia asked what was for dinner I proudly announced "BLOODY PUMPKINS!, so this is what we all now affectionately calls this dish.

Black Bean, Mushroom, and Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers (AKA "Bloody Pumpkins")

2 tablespoons olive oil (I omit this)
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon soaked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
4 large orange/yellow bell peppers
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
fresh cilantro for garnish

In a saucepan over medium heat, saute' the onions in the olive oil (or water) for 3 or 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms; saute' about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture.  Stir in the chile powder and salt.  Add the quinoa and 1 cup of the tomato sauce (reserve the rest) and the water, lower and cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the peppers: Boil a pot of water.  Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds.  Boil the peppers for 5 minutes and then drain them.

Combine the beans and maple syrup with the cooked quinoa mixture.  Stuff each pepper with filling and stand them upright in a baking dish.  Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers and back for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

For a variation, I sometimes chop up the peppers and put them in the mixture then simmer until they are soft and combine with the other flavors.  This skips the baking in the oven step. It also changes the name to "Bloody Pumpkin Guts."

Enjoy!