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2016 is right around the corner and along with thousands of other people around the world...my New Year's resolution is to get back to healthy eating. This recipe for Curry Stuffed Peppers is the perfect way to jump back into the groove of eating better!
One of the most important things (for me) while eating healthy is flavor and change; I can't eat the same thing every day and I like vibrant food flavors...no boring old lettuce and sprout salad for this girl!
My husband, Jeff, is always amazed at how healthy food can taste so good and still be good for you! It really is simple; use spices, nuts, vegetables, oils and vinegars to create all kinds of flavor combinations to jazz up healthy meals. Curry Stuffed Peppers is a perfect example!
Curry Stuffed Peppers are packed with protein, good carbs and good fats, all while satisfying the taste buds and filling the tummy.
For the next several weeks, I'm taking all my favorite recipes and reinventing them to create a healthy, but still very tasty alternative. Do you have a recipe you'd like slimmed down or healthed up??? Just email me the recipe and I will get to work! Finished recipes (that pass Jeff's taste test) will be posted and credit given to the person who submitted it.
Stay tuned, lot's of guiltless yumminess coming your way!
What You'll Need for Curry Stuffed Peppers:
* the picture shows ginger paste and red pepper paste, I didn't end up using them in this recipe, but if you like things a bit spicier add either/or both to taste
- Ground Turkey
- Quinoa
- Bell peppers, any color
- Peanuts
- Peanut Butter (not shown, but I added it in for a bit of sweetness and depth of flavor)
- Curry Powder
- Red Curry Paste
- Lemon Grass Paste
- Chicken Stock
- Toasted Sesame oil (optional)
- Cilantro
- Crimini Mushrooms
- Onion
- Lite Coconut Milk
- Salt and Pepper
Step One:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make your Curry Spice Blend ( recipe below). Cut the bell peppers in half (from stem to bottom), remove white pith and seeds. Place pepper halfs in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 Teaspoon of Sesame or Olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Curry spice blend. Place baking dish in oven for 15 minutes to soften peppers. Remove from oven until your curry stuffing is done.
Step Two:
In a medium or large saute pan, add ½ cup of Quinoa and 1 cup of Chicken stock and 1 Teaspoon of Curry Spice blend, bring to boil and reduce to low. Simmer and stir occasionally until all chicken stock is absorbed, 10-15 minutes, then turn off heat.
Step Three:
Slice your mushrooms and chop the cilantro. While the peppers are baking and the Quinoa is cooking, add 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil (or any oil you like) to a second medium to large saute pan, add diced onion, ground turkey and 1 teaspoon of Curry Spice Blend. Stir and cook until ground turkey until it's almost done (about 10 minutes) and add 1 ¾ cups (one 13.66 ounce can) of Coconut milk to turkey mixture and stir to combine ingredients. Continue to cook until turkey is done, about 3-5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of red curry paste, 1 Tablespoon of lemon grass paste, 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter, and remaining Curry Spice Blend to turkey mixture, stir to combine. Combine the Quinoa and Turkey into one saute pan and add ½ cup of chopped Cilantro and sliced mushrooms.
Step Four:
Simmer on medium low heat for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Fill each pepper with the turkey/quinoa mixture and return to oven for about 15 minutes. Any extra filling, I just piled it on and let it spill over...it looks very messy right now, doesn't it??? In fact, it looked so bad (but I knew it tasted great) that I told my husband this was not going to be featured on The Salted Pepper! But...after baking in the oven and being dressed up with it's garnish, it wasn't so bad! Won't win any awards for presentation, but it was waaaay too good not to share with you! Garnish with some cilantro leaves and crushed peanuts. Serve and Enjoy!
Curry Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 Bell Peppers any color
- 2-3 Teaspoons Sesame or Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Quinoa dry
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Pound Ground Turkey
- 1 Vidalia Onion diced
- 1 Can 13.66 ounces Lite Coconut Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Grass Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Red Curry Paste
- ½ Cup of Cilantro chopped (plus a few leaves for garnish)
- 4 Medium size Crimini Mushrooms sliced
- ½ Cup of Dry Roasted Peanuts crushed
Curry Spice Blend
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Curry Powder
- ¾ Teaspoon Fine Grind Sea Salt
- ¾ Teaspoon Black Pepper ground
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Instructions
Curry Spice Blend
- Combine Curry Powder, Salt and Pepper in a small bowl.
Curry Stuffed Peppers
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cut the Bell Peppers in half from stem to bottom, remove white pith and seeds. Place Peppers in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Curry Spice Blend over peppers and place in oven to bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, but leave oven on.
- In a medium to large saute pan, add quinoa and chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer. Stirring Occasionally until all chicken stock is absorbed. Turn off heat.
- In a second medium to large saute pan, combine diced onion, turkey and 1 teaspoon of Curry Spice Blend and cook on medium until turkey is almost done, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, red curry paste, peanut butter, lemon grass paste and remaining Curry Spice Blend. Stir to combine and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Combine quinoa and turkey mixture together in one saute pan and cook on medium heat. Add cilantro and mushrooms. Cook about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Fill each pepper half with Curry mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves and crushed peanuts.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Notes
Lemon Grass Paste can usually be found in the produce section of your local supermarket.
Katie S.
Sorry, I forgot to say, I'm using the OL701.
Katie S.
Love stuffed peppers and your recipes are spot-on. I have a could of questions: I don't have ground turkey in house. Can I use ground beef or veal. I know that knocks out the "healthy" concept, but that is not a concern at this time. Also, I don't have any full size bell peppers, but I have a whole bag of mini peppers. Can I use them and if so, does the time or temp change? Thanks ahead of time. I'm really anxious to try this one. You and your recipes are the best.
Louise
This recipe isn't a Ninja Foodi recipe, but you can use my stuffed pepper for the Ninja Foodi as a guide for steaming times. I haven't done the small peppers before, but I would probably cut the tops off and check on them halfway through the steam time. If you are doing the steaming with the rice/meat mixture it needs the full steam time, but you can open the lid quickly and remove the peppers. Using a different meat is fine.
Shea S.
Haven't tried yet but know it will be great! Have you tried making suffer peppers in the ninja Foodi? I am trying to find a recipe.and not have my peppers be so watery. I am trying not to use rice if possible. If anyone can do this challenge it will be you😁. Thanks for all your videos and hard work.
Louise
I've tested stuffed peppers, but haven't gotten a technique down that I think is better than the usual way I do them, so I'll keep working on it.
Louise
Helen,
Stay tuned for many more healthy recipes! If you have any favorite recipes that you want me to reinvent into a healthier version, please let me know! I wish you and your family all the best in 2016!
Helen Barcroft
You are a wonderful cook I am glad you are doing this. Want to wish you and Jeff happy adventures 2016. I am going to make the best I can of this new year on top of my list gett healthy the stroke was a wake up call. My best to you Helen. Do miss seeing you all