Quinoa & Cheese

2 tsp. olive oil
1 med. leek, white and pale green parts halved and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced red or green bell peppers
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 cups water
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups grated cheese
Toppings - Panko, crushed red pepper, French fried onions
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in frying pan over med. heat.  Add leek and peppers.  Cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in quinoa and garlic.  Cook uncovered 3-4 minutes.  Add 3 cups of water, salt and pepper.  Cover and reduce heat to med-low.  Simmer 20-25 minutes or more (depends on what kind of quinoa you use) or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.  Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl.  Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese.  Pour into baking dish.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until browned around edges.  Sprinkle with toppings and bake another 5 minutes, watching carefully so toppings don't burn.  Serve with salsa, scallions, sour cream, hot sauce, etc.  Serve with a side of steamed broccoli or a salad and a slice of bread.  Serves 6

Comment:  On Doctor Oz's show he talked about quinoa.  I had never heard of it before and had no idea as to what it might taste like, how it was served nor what it even looked like when cooked but he said it was one of the healthest foods and a total protein so I decided to give it a try.  I went to my local health food store and bought some a couple of weeks ago.  It's been in my pantry since buying and then I ran across this recipe.  The dish was posted on Pinterest by Around the Table and it's delicious!  I made a few changes to fit my own taste.  She used tomatoes and I used green peppers.  She added seasoning salt which I omitted and my cheese was a blend instead of cheddar.  This is a dish that I would make even if it weren't healthy.  It's that good.