Spanish Quinoa and Bell Pepper Casserole with Manchego

Preheat the oven to 200 °C conventional heat (180 °C fan oven). Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under warm running water to remove any bitter compounds. Bring to a boil in a pot with the vegetable stock and simmer gently covered over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.

Meanwhile, wash, deseed, and cut the red and yellow bell peppers into bite-sized cubes. Peel and finely chop the red onion and garlic. Coarsely grate the Manchego cheese.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the diced bell peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften. Season with smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground pepper.