Stuffed Peppers

Today I'm Making... Stuffed Peppers

I love the farmers market, everything tastes so much better then the produce you find at most grocery stores. This last weekend we brought my 2 month old for the first time and discovered what an adventure it is being in a crowded area with two children and many aisles for a two year old to disappear into. My husband and I had to take turns watching the kids and picking out what we were going to buy. My husband who loves spicy foods was in charge of peppers. Well, when we got home I discovered he bought two bell peppers which he doesn't even like all that much... this is why I usually do the grocery shopping. Well I wanted to make something he would enjoy so I decided to fill them with meat :). Here's the recipe I made up for stuffed peppers... there are a lot of opportunities for substitutions so use it as a jumping off point.

Recipe:

1. I used 2 bell peppers the recipe for the filling would probably fit 4 better. I had one yellow and one red but again any color would work. Cut them in half and scoop out everything inside. Put them in boiling water for 2 minutes, take them immediately out and "shock" them in a bath of ice water. Set them aside.
2. Filling: brown 3/4 pound ground turkey, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/4 of a medium onion chopped. Add 1.5 cups of cooked barley (you can substitute brown or white rice) and 1/2 a jar of pasta sauce. I added in some chopped raw carrots and celery I had sitting around but it isn't necessary. mix it all together.
3. Fill the Bell Peppers with the filling and top it with cheese- I used a mixture of shredded cheddar and Parmesan. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Review:

These were great and an excellent way to incorporate some veggies in a different way. My husband said these were the best stuffed peppers he has ever had. If you are looking for a low glycemic food (doesn't effect your blood sugar greatly) this is a good recipe for you but make sure you use barley instead of rice.