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)

Every time I see a ready assembled vegetable platter at a grocery store, just to pick up and go to a party, I cringe at its cost.  I think it mostly reflects the price of labor, rather than the value of the veggies.

I can understand if you are in a hurry and rally do not have time to put it all together, but even that is not a good enough excuse.

It doesn’t take a culinary genius to cut up raw vegetables, and to arrange them on a platter.

Even if you still have to buy the ready made dip, you will save money, doing the platter yourself.

Here is what you will need:

• Baby carrots (1/2 bag)
• Celery stalks ( 3 stalks)
• Green Peppers (1)
• Red Pepper (optional)
• Yellow Peppers (optional)
• Cherry Tomatoes (1 container)
• Cucumber (one)

I know once you add up the cost of these items you might come up close to what the platter costs, but you will not use up all of these vegetables for this one platter.  You will have leftovers for your own use.

If you want to cut down the price even further, skip the peppers all together, and fill up that space with celery.  Also, instead of cherry tomatoes you can select broccoli and cauliflower.

You may also substitute the baby carrots with regular carrots, peeled and cut them up to chunks (french fries size), these will also cut down on the cost of carrots.  It all depends on your budget and the current price of vegetables.

Maybe you don’t have a vegetable platter to arrange these on, or you don’t want to use your own and worry about bringing it back home.  In that case, stop at a Dollar store  and purchase one for a Dollar.

Once all assembled, wrap it up with foil, or plastic wrap, and off you go.  Not only you will same some money, you will feel good about your creation, and maybe impress someone as well.

TIP: To make a quick and easy vegetable dip, use 1 cup of sour cream, add 1/2 packet of Good Seasons Zesty Italian

flavored salad dressing mix, mix it all up, spoon it in a plastic container and it’s ready.  Money saved again.  This whole platter will cost about $6, if you do it yourself.

Green Peppers are one of those vegetables that taste great raw, or cooked.  I like all color peppers, green, red, orange, yellow, as a raw vegetable used in salads, or with dips.   I also would like to share this recipe for peppers served hot, as a main meal, or a side dish.  Peppers, like cabbage rolls, may be stuffed with meat, or vegetable stuffing, so I selected the vegetable stuffing for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 green peppers
• 3 Tbs. onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs. canola oil, or vegetable oil
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the peppers under warm running water.
2. Cut a slice from a stem end of each pepper (about ½ inch thick).
3. Remove the core, white veins, and seeds.
4. Fill a medium size pot with water and bring to boil.
5. Place the peppers, and the tops, into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove peppers and cool.
7. Arrange peppers in a shallow baking dish.
8. Sauté chopped onions in canola oil to a golden color.
9. Add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes.
10. Mix the rice and mushrooms, and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste.
11. Fill the peppers with the rice filling.
12. Place the pepper top slices over the filling.
13. Pour ¼ cup of vegetable broth into each pepper, and pour the remaining broth into the pan.
14. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees F, for 30 minutes.

TIP: If you prefer to stuff peppers with other vegetables, rather than mushrooms, then you might want to use tomato juice in place of the vegetable broth, to
enhance the flavor. I personally do not like the combination of tomato juice and mushrooms/rice filling.