If you like stuffed peppers, but are looking for a healthier grain, rather than white rice, Brown Rice, Quinoa, or Bulgur, are great substitutions.

Today I will share a recipe I recently tested, and loved, for Stuffed Peppers with Bulgur and ground turkey.

Ever since my Fat Smash Diet experience, I am really paying more attention to my eating style, and into wholesome foods.  I still use white rice, breads and potatoes, but periodically try to alternate with other healthier substitutions .

I also realized that I stuff lots of the foods I prepare, such as cabbage rolls (holubtsi/golabki), chicken breast, Green Peppers, beef, varenyky (pierogi), and many other ones, which I have not posted yet.

I guess it creates a more filling food item, almost like having a whole meal in one, and adds to its presentation.  Don’t you agree?

Ingredients:

• 6 medium peppers (green, red, yellow, or orange)
• 1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 cup Bulgur, uncooked
• 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup chopped onion (one small onion)
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced (2 medium tomatoes)
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or ¼ tsp. garlic powder)
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp. oregano, ground
• 1 Tbs. olive oil (or canola oil)
• 1 ½ cups water

Directions:

1. Put 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet, warm it up.
2. Place the ground meat into the skillet, and brown it up (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently for even cooking.
3. Add the bulgur to the meat, and sauté until browned (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently, to prevent burning (the bulgur wheat makes a lot of crackling sounds, while cooking).
4. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes tomato sauce, oregano and Worcestershire Sauce.
5. Mix well.
6. Add the water, cover the saucepan, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
7. Uncover, and mix in 1 cup of Cheddar Cheese, until melted.
8. Prepare the peppers by, removing the tops and seeds. You can use whole peppers, but I  sliced some of my peppers in half, lengthwise, and used only the bottom half of the red pepper (as these were very long).  Fill a medium pot with water (enough to cover the peppers – about halfway full). Bring to boil.
9. Place the peppers in boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.
10. Remove from water, and drip off any excess water.
11. Place peppers in a casserole dish.
12. Fill with bulgur/meat filling.
13. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar Cheese on top of each pepper.
14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
15. Bake peppers, uncovered, on the middle oven rack, for 20 minutes.
16. Remove, and  serve.

Enjoy.

TIP: You can easily make a vegetarian version of this recipe, by substituting the meat with veggies (shredded carrots, zucchini, celery, mushroom, etc)

Chicken salad is one of those quick, easy, and inexpensive meals you can easily make yourself.  Have it your way, and save lots of money, at the same time.

I always make this salad from a leftover chicken meat, most likely chicken breast, after I roast a whole chicken, or cook extra breast to use for Chicken Dip, or sometimes I just buy a ready to eat roasted chicken (if it costs less than doing it myself).  I create a new meal out of the leftovers, such as Chicken Salad, or Chicken Croquettes, Chicken Tetrazzini, or Chicken in Aspic.

I could never figure out why anyone would buy Tuna Fish Salad, Chicken Salad or Egg Salad.  These salads are very simple to prepare, yet quite pricey to purchase ready made, in comparison to the time and ingredients they require,  (not to mention the overload of mayo and salt).

Today I will share a quick recipe for a Homemade Chicken Salad.  I already posted my Tuna Fish Salad recipe, and the Egg Salad recipe will follow in the near future.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup chicken breast, cooked and chopped
• 3 Tbs. Light Mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s Light) (see TIP below)
• 1 tsp. mustard (Gulden Spicy Brown, is my favorite)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbs. peppers (green, orange, yellow, or red) chopped (see TIP below)
• 1 Tbs. celery, chopped
• 1 Tbs. onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Place chopped chicken in a medium size bowl.
2. Mix Mayonnaise with mustard, salt and pepper.
3. Mix in the chopped veggies.
4. Add to the chopped chicken.
5. Fold in, to combine all ingredients evenly.

Serve plain, with tossed salad, on your favorite bread or roll, or on a bed of lettuce.
Enjoy.

TIP: If you do not like veggies in your salad, you can use garlic powder, or onion powder for flavor, in addition to

salt and pepper.

I personally like the crunchiness of the veggies in my salad.

If yo do not like Mayo, you may use Greek Yogurt, or all mustard.

If you would like to put together a meal that is easy to prepare, but looks complicated, you will love this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu.

You can use plain chicken breast, but I prefer a more flavored taste, so I marinate it for an hour, or overnight, in an Italian Salad Dressing.  For simplicity and ease, I also use Campbell’s Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soup, for the sauce.

4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices of smoked ham(Ham of the Bone, or Smoked Virginia Ham, from the Deli)
• 4 slices of Swiss cheese
• 2 tsp of deli mustard
• Italian Salad Dressing
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder
• Flavored breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup (or Cream of Mushrooms)
• ½ cup of heavy cream, or whole milk
• ¼ cup of white wine (optional)
• Italian seasoning
• 4 toothpicks, or string

Directions:

1. Trim off all fat from the chicken breast.
2. Spread the breasts on a cutting board, cover with clear plastic saran wrap, and pound with a meat mallet to a ¼ inch thickness. (I like to place the chicken with the clear membrane side down, to keep it intact during this process).
3. Place the chicken in a large enough container, and pour the Italian Dressing, or marinate, over it.
4. Move the chicken around, to coat all pieces evenly.
5. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for an hour, or overnight.
6. Lay each piece of marinated chicken on a work surface.
7. Place one piece of ham and one piece of cheese on top of each breast (you might fold the ham and cheese in half for a better fit).
8. Spread ¼ tsp of deli mustard over the ham/cheese slices.
9. Roll up from the widest end towards the opposite end.
10. Fasten with tooth pick, or a string.
11. Dredge the chicken in flour seasoned with garlic powder.
12. Beat one whole egg with a tablespoon of water, salt and pepper.
13. Dip the floured chicken in the egg, then coat with flavored breadcrumbs, set aside.
14. Heat the oil in a frying pan, place the chicken roll ups in the hot oil and fry to a golden color, turning gently.
15. In a casserole dish, pour 1/4 cup of water on the bottom, and arrange a single layer of the browned chicken rolls.
16. Remove the toothpicks, or cut off and remove string.
17. Mix the Cream of Chicken soup with the sweet cream (if you are using wine, add the wine, and mix well).
18. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
19. Sprinkle with pepper and Italian seasoning.
20. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil.
21. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F, for 45 minutes.
22. Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Tip: I like to serve this chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, and cooked green vegetables.

If you love mushrooms, you can saute some mushrooms with onion and garlic, and place them on top of the chicken rolls before baking, or even just before serving.