Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey

Instead of stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice, this dish is leaner, using ground turkey and skipping rice.   For the healthiest version, use either red or orange bell peppers due to the health benefits of the compounds which give them their distinctive colors.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 green, red, orange or yellow bell peppers
• 2 cups San Marzano plum tomatoes, pureed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
• 11/2 pound ground turkey, preferably organic (or use 3/4 pound organic turkey and 3/4 pound free range organic beef)
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 zucchini, grated

(As always, for the healthiest recipe, use organic content whenever possible.)

Equipment Needed

• Small pot
• Sieve
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large frying pan
• Deep baking dish

Directions:

Tomato Pepper Sauce:

Roughly chop one red bell pepper, and cook in a small pot of boiling water for 15 minutes, until tender.

Drain and puree. Sieve the pureed pepper with the pureed tomatoes into a bowl. Season with the sea salt, raw sugar, and freshly cracked pepper. Set aside.

Peppers:

Slice the top off of 4 bell peppers; reserve the tops, and remember which top goes with which pepper. Remove the seeds and pith from the inside of the peppers.

Turkey Stuffing:

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 12 minutes, until slightly browned. Add the ground turkey and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Stir in the grated carrots, zucchini, and 1/2 cup of tomato pepper sauce, and take it off the heat.

Putting It Together:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the peppers in a deep baking dish, and spoon in the stuffing. Pour 1 tablespoon of tomato pepper sauce over the exposed stuffing and crown each pepper with its matching top. Pour the rest of the tomato pepper sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, and bake for 1 hour covered, and another 30 minutes uncovered.

Serves: 4