BONAPPETITLIFE BRINGS YOU…

Healthy Turkey-Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

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Processed with VSCO with hb1 preset

ALL YOU NEED (makes 3 stuffed peppers)

• 1 lb. ground white turkey meat (lean, organic, nitrate-free)
• 3 red bell peppers
• 1 lemon
• 1 c. white quinoa
• 1 carton chicken broth
• 1 c mozzarella cheese (and feta cheese, optional)
• Kalamatha olives, optional
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small pack of fresh dill
• 4 scallions
• Paprika
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 1/2 can tomato puree
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 handful of walnuts, pecans OR pine nuts
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper

SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Prepare quinoa according to package
   1. Or you can do it my favorite way: bring 1 c chicken broth and 1 c water to a boil, add salt, add 1 c rinsed white quinoa to a boil, let simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Remove from heat, squeeze slice of 1 lemon and let quinoa absorb remaining water for remaining 10-20 mins. YUM!
3. Cut tops off the bell peppers (set aside the tops for later!) and scrape out the insides (especially the seeds!).
4. On a baking sheet lined with tin foil, coat peppers with ~1tsp of olive oil each, bake for 10 minutes.
5. While those are baking, mush the ground turkey meat with salt, pepper, ~1/2 tsp paprika, finely chopped scallions and ~1tbsp chopped, fresh dill.
6. Heat olive oil in the pan on medium-high heat. Pour in all the turkey mixture.
7. Chop the zucchini and add to turkey mixture.
8. Let cook for about 8 minutes in the pan in medium heat, chopping and stirring as you go. If it starts to look dry, add chicken broth while cooking.
9. While waiting, make the sauce! Stir tomato puree, brown sugar, walnuts, lemon juice, and salt + pepper. Take out bell peppers and add 1 tbsp sauce to the bottoms of the peppers. Let bake for 5 more minutes.
10. When the quinoa is done, add about 1.5 c cooked quinoa to the turkey mixture. Let cook on medium-low for a few minutes to let flavors absorb.
11. Take out the peppers from the oven, carefully stuff them with turkey-quinoa mixture, top with ~2 tbsp cheese each, pour a little more sauce on top, and top with the bell pepper tops.
12. Bake for more 15 minutes and viola! Ready to serve.

Contact me: bonappetitlife@gmail.com