Kelly's Farro and Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

This recipe appeared originally in the September Issue of Wayne Living Magazine.

As the weather gets cooler, most people want warmer "comfort" foods and chili is often a staple. Chili can be a great way to get in some veggies and beans, and if you follow recipes like my Healthy Pumpkin Turkey Chili, you are in for a nutritious meal. However, sometimes you need some more variety, so this is my take on stuff peppers, but I have "healthified" them with lean ground turkey, healthy whole grains, and oats. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

·        7 bell peppers

·        ½ lb ground lean turkey

·        1 clove garlic, minced

·        1 ½ c chicken broth

·        ½ c uncooked farro [can sub quinoa, barley, bulgur, freekeh]

·        2 c raw kale, chopped

·        1 large zucchini, chopped

·        1 onion, diced

·        2 tsp oil (olive or avocado)

·        ½ c oatmeal or oat bran, dry

·        ½ c shredded part skim mozzarella

·        Cilantro or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut off the tops and seeds of the peppers, and dice up any leftover edible top (keeping the bottoms whole to stuff).  Place the pepper bottoms in a large baking dish.

2.       Heat the oil and 1-2 tbsp of the chicken broth in a large skillet with high rims.  Add all the vegetables except for kale [zucchini, onion, pepper tops], garlic, and ground turkey. Cook about five minutes while stirring often.

3.       Add the rest of the broth and farro to the skillet, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for about 10 minutes.

4.       Add the kale to the mix, then cook for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the oats and cheese. Remove from heat.

5.       Spoon the farro, cheese, and vegetable mixture into the pepper bottoms.  Cover the baking dish with foil (not too tight).

6.       Bake peppers for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Top with herbs.

Nutrition info per serving [1/7 recipe]: 225 calories, 7 g fat, 29 g carb (6 g fiber), 15 g protein. Excellent source of Vitamins A & C [Nutrition info determined by Diet Master Pro]

Picture Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Stuffed_orange_pepper.jpg