Golden Style Book: Eating Light - Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Eating Light - Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

20 February 2012 3:55 AM

Hi sweet friends! I am so sorry for my terribly long absence. It's so frustrating when "real life" gets in the way of blogging!

This weekend is my brother in law's wedding and the festivities include a bridesmaids day at the spa (Thursday), a "Red Carpet Glamour" welcome party and rehearsal dinner (Friday), and of course the wedding (Saturday)! I am wearing a bridesmaids dress on Saturday, but for the party on Friday, I will be wearing one of these two dresses (Herve Leger, Dolce & Gabbana) from Rent the Runway. I am so excited for them to arrive this week, and I am just praying that one of them will fit! So in preparation for squeezing into one of these dresses, I have been eating super healthy.

I found this recipe from Real Simple for Southwestern Stuffed Peppers. I knew that I had to try it but I made some simple substitutions to make it healthier. It was the perfect Saturday night dinner! Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup frozen corn
1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 ounces reduced fat Monterey Jack, grated (1 cup)
kosher salt and black pepper
4 large bell peppers, tops, ribs and seeds removed
1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
Hot sauce (optional)
Salsa, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Cook the rice according to the package directions.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites and turkey and cook, breaking the beef up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the corn, chilies, cumin, cooked rice, ½ cup of the Monterey Jack, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. I also added a few drops of hot sauce, but that is optional.

3. Arrange the bell peppers, cut-side up, in a small baking dish or pan. Divide the turkey mixture among the bell peppers, add ½ cup water to the dish, tightly cover the dish with foil, and bake until the bell peppers are soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Monterey Jack, and bake until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and ¼ cup water. Drizzle over the bell peppers and top with the salsa and scallion greens.

Adapted from Real Simple