Stuffed Peppers Recipe

June 8, 2015
Nutrition, Recipes

An Arthritis-Friendly ‘Take’ on a Household Classic!

While stuffed peppers have long reigned in the kitchen as a household classic, this recipe has since been adapted and modified to better serve a more health-conscious audience.

For those suffering with arthritis, it is important to make adjustments to the recipe that work to accommodate your specific needs. This could involve incorporating more “superfoods” or “nutrient powerhouses” into the mix. Using these ingredients will likely help to ease any inflammation—especially inflammation associated with arthritis pain.

For example, by doing things like using red bell peppers instead of green or yellow bell peppers (red bell peppers have the most nutrients because they remain on the vine the longest) or swapping out a high-calorie bread-based stuffing for quinoa, a whole grain packed with protein, fibers, and other minerals, are just two of the many easy ways in which you can maximize your meal-time experience and up your superfood intake–all while retaining the recipe’s original yummy flavor.

Feel free to add or substitute with any other spices and/or vegetables that you may like!

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces lean ground turkey
½ cup onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock (unsalted)
¼ cup frozen corn
¼ cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
⅛ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ cup cooked quinoa (See Below)
½ tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped)
3 large red bell peppers (cut into halves and seeded)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large-sized skillet.
Next add in garlic and onion
Once the garlic and onion are cooked (slightly browned), add in the ground turkey and sauté until it is fully cooked through.
Pour in the chicken broth and add the tomatoes, corn, beans, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes until it slightly thickens.
Remove skillet from the burner and stir in lime juice, cilantro, and cooked quinoa.
Stuff the each of the halved peppers with the filling and place onto a medium to large-sized baking pan.
Lastly, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until the peppers soften).
Enjoy!

Directions for how to cook Quinoa:

(The ratio is 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to 2 cups of liquid)

Ingredients

½ cup of quinoa
1 cup of liquid (You can use water or, if you’re looking for something a bit more flavorful, you can use chicken broth, vegetable, broth, etc.—whatever type you like!

Directions

Using a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and your preferred liquid to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, (this should take about 20 minutes!)
Fluff with a fork.

(This recipe serves 6)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes