My husband is a registered dietitian. His food knowledge comes in pretty handy, especially since I have been trying to eat healthier.
Currently, he is a dietitian manager at a local hospital, and we came up with this recipe after he had something similar at work. I know, hospital food DOES not sound appetizing, but this is really good! I promise, no plastic trays or Jell-O is involved in this meal.
For us this is definitely a Sunday night make ahead meal, since it takes more than 5 minutes to throw in the oven. (Something that would never fly during our busy workweek) This has become a favorite since it is low calorie and you feel like you are eating A LOT of food. You can add almost any veggie to the turkey mixture to spice it up. I change the way I make this every time, so feel free to use more or less of something depending on your liking!
Here is the basic recipe:
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6-8 bell peppers (depending on the size)
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1 lb ground turkey (we use the 99% lean)
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2 cans diced tomatoes (I like to use one can of Italian herb, one can plain)
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 cup chopped onions (red, yellow, whatever)
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2/3 cloves chopped garlic (or just a teaspoon of the minced kind in the jar)
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2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (this is the only ingredient in this recipe that is not considered ‘clean’)
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2 cups of prepared quinoa (cook following package directions)
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salt and pepper to taste
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shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
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Set the oven to 350
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In a pan, saute the garlic and onions in a bit of oil (or spray oil)
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Add the turkey and Worcestershire sauce
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Once the turkey is cooked, add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. (I like the taste with both cans, but my husband prefers when I make it with only one can)
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Throw in any other veggies you may want
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Once that simmers for a bit (maybe like 5 minutes, until it tightens up a little) add two cups of cooked quinoa.
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Take it off the heat.
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Hollow out the peppers and put them upright in a sprayed pan
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When the oven is preheated, put the plain peppers in the oven for 10 minutes (I do this while I am preparing the turkey mixture, it helps the peppers soften up)
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Scoop the turkey mixture into the peppers, cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes
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Take them out, sprinkle some cheese on top of each pepper, and put them back in the oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Each prepared pepper has about 220 calories. (depending on the size of the pepper and the amount of filling you can cram in) The best part about these is they taste just as good the next day! I always make extra to bring for lunch, and the filling is really good on its own, too. Let me know what you think!
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Wow–that looks amazing. Totally trying this!!
bring me leftovers 😉
This sounds and looks so yum! I've committed to going meat-less this month, but in May, I must make this! Thanks for sharing!
a meat-less month sounds like fun! I used to be a vegetarian… many moons ago… I would love to try that for my family!
I love this recipe and the fact of the low calories!! Great post!
Yes, and its super filling too!