I love reading cookbooks, and I really love the recipes inside, but I have to say they aren’t really so great on the waistline. I can’t wait to cook the dishes I’ve read, but I want to do it in a way that would provide nutrition. So, I have decided that I am going to work my way through those cookbooks and modify some of the recipes just a bit to keep the same flavor and love, but eliminate the excessive amounts of butter, mayo, and processed cheese, like this Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers.
So today, I’m going to throw a softball and tackle the Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers. The usual stuffed bell peppers recipe calls for ground chuck, ground pork, and heavy cream. We are going to substitute that for ground turkey, vegetable broth, and yummy veggies. Everyone loves stuffed peppers. If you don’t, then I assume you have never had any. So, this is your week to try them out.
The Best Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 large red pepper (red capsicum) - any color is fine
- 1 ¼ pound ground turkey (minced turkey) - lean
- ½ large white onion
- 1 cup spinach - chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoons garlic - minced
- 18- ounce Neapolitan Sauce or Pasta sauce Southern Hemisphere (Tomato Sauce in North America) - low-sodium
- 1 cup vegetable stock (vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon) - low-sodium
- 1 cup quinoa - dry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - extra virgin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small saucepan, begin preparing quinoa following the directions on the package.
- While the quinoa is cooking, begin to sauté your vegetables in olive oil.
- After the vegetables have cooked down a bit, add the turkey and begin to sauté. Once the turkey has had some time to cook, pour in the tomato sauce and about half of the vegetable broth and allow it all to simmer together until most of the liquid has reduced, and the turkey is fully cooked through.
- Leave the mixture to simmer and begin to prepare your bell peppers.
- Core the middle by removing the top and the seeds in the middle. Place the peppers side by side in a greased baking dish with the openings facing upwards.
- Once the quinoa is finished, add it to the turkey and vegetable mixture, combine them together and then stuff your peppers. You want them to be really full.
- Pour the remaining amount of vegetable broth in the pan around the peppers.
- Cover them with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Serve them hot out of the oven and enjoy!