Submitted by:
Maureen Kelly
Category:
Dinner
Country of Origin:
Mexico
Cook time:
1 hour
Serves:
12
Ingredients:
12 large bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, whatever you fancy)
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
5 ounces ground chorizo sausage
8 ounces frozen roasted corn
12 ounces frozen riced cauliflower
1 1/2 cups black rice
1/3 cups salsa (I prefer a smoky chipotle)
1/2 cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 scallions, chopped
Chili powder
4 teaspoons cumin (2 teaspoons if not making taco seasoning from scratch)
Paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Shredded cheese
Sour cream (organic...yum!)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Slice tops off peppers and remove seeds and ribs; rinse peppers thoroughly and store upside down. Save tops for later!
3. Cook black rice according to package directions.
4. Season and brown the meat. (You can add low-sodium taco seasoning, but I create my own with 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, and 1 teaspoon picante paprika [use paprika and cayenne pepper if you don’t have spicy paprika].)
5. Pull the meat aside, and drain if necessary.
6. Spritz or brush peppers inside and out with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and/or any other preferred spices.
7. Put empty pepper bases in oven for about 10 minutes, until just barely soft.
8. Put frozen riced cauliflower, roasted corn, chopped scallions, chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons cumin in pan (no oil necessary); cook for 10 minutes.
9. Taste cauliflower mixture. If it needs salt, hold off.
10. Add salsa to mixture, and then add cooked meat back in to pan and combine.
12. Taste again. Delicious? If yes, stuff peppers with mixture. If no, adjust spices or add more salsa to your preference.
13. Bake stuffed peppers for 8 to 10 minutes. Be sure to season and cook the tops in the oven too.
14. Add cheese to the tops of each stuffed pepper and bake or broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted
15. Remove from oven, cap stuffed peppers with cooked tops, and serve peppers with sour cream, chopped scallions, and fresh cilantro.
What makes this recipe special?
I presented this recipe in a cooking demonstration at the DC office. It is a way to get lots of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber into your diet. It tastes great, and is easy to make. You can also freeze the filling for an easy and healthy dinner on a busy weeknight.
Additional notes:
This recipe makes a lot of filling. I like to make 4 to 6 peppers in an evening and freeze the rest of the filling. The filling can be reheated in new peppers another night, rolled up in tortillas, or served on a bed of lettuce for a tasty salad.