Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (w/ a Mexican flair)

(I made this for the first time tonight so forgive me if a few of the amounts are off--I just added things til I got the preferred taste and texture. It was delicious!)

1 cup quinoa (use red quinoa if you can find it)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (about a cup; try sweet onions if you have them)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1 cup canned hominy, rinsed
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
8 oz crushed tomatoes
4 oz canned chili verde
salt and pepper to taste
4 large bell peppers
grated pepper jack cheese*
chopped fresh cilantro*
chopped avocado*
sour cream or plain yogurt*

*optional

Cook the quinoa per box instructions (I use vegetable broth instead of plain water)

Meanwhile, saute the onions on medium high heat in oil for about 5 minutes until soft then stir in garlic, olives and hominy, cayenne, chili powder and paprika. Saute another 5 minutes and add crushed tomatoes and chili verde. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens.

When quinoa is finished cooking stir it into the sauce and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out the centers. Put the peppers in a microwave-safe deep dish (I use bread loaves and do 2 peppers at a time). Pour an inch or two of water in the dish and microwave the peppers for a few minutes. Pour out excess water from the softened peppers and spray the pan(s) with cooking spray. Fill the peppers with the filling and cover the pan(s) with aluminum foil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

Take the peppers out of the oven, remove foil, and increase the oven temp to 400.

Add optional cheese and return the uncovered peppers to the oven. Cook until the top of the peppers start to brown a little.

Remove peppers from oven and garnish with optional toppings if you like.