keep your diet real

I can’t compete with my Nani’s stuffed peppers…

…nor would I dare to. My Nani’s stuffed peppers were sensational. I can’t find her recipe but I remember that she used green peppers, sweet Italian sausage, ground beef, Italian seasonings, white rice, and breadcrumbs. I figured that there was no way for me to contend with the memory of those peppers, so I decided to create my own stuffed pepper variation. I chose yellow and orange peppers with a stuffing of zucchini, tomatoes, wild rice, and ground turkey. Thank you for inspiring me, Nani!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of wild rice
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 bell peppers (I used 2 yellow and 2 orange), rinsed, seeded, tops removed
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 zucchini (diced)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• 2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese (shredded)
• Baking sheet or casserole dish lined with aluminum foil

Directions

1. Start to cook the wild rice (use directions on the side of the package. This generally takes about 45-60 minutes)
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until brown (about 5 minutes)
3. Add the ground turkey into the onion and garlic mixture and continue to sauté until the meat is fully cooked and brown (about 7-10 minutes)
4. Remove the meat mixture from the pan and place into a separate bowl
5. Add the additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sauté the zucchini and tomatoes until the zucchini is soft and brighter in color (about 5 minutes)
6. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
7. At the same time, blanche the peppers in boiling hot water for 3 minutes
8. Add the zucchini and tomato mixture to the meat
9. Add the wild rice to the zucchini, tomatoes, and meat, mix thoroughly
10. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes
11. Add the cheese to the tops of the peppers and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned

What special meal did your grandma make for you?

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