Vacations have a phenomenal way of messing up your eating routines completely. Luckily I had everything on hand when I got home to make these deliciously tasty skinny Mexican style ground turkey stuffed peppers
I recently went away for two nights. It really only was a day in a half that I was gone from my home but I cleaned out my fridge like I was going to war. What is it about vacations that put us in pure panic mode? On the one hand I'm throwing away a jar of kimchi in my fridge because it may just expire while I'm gone and turn my apartment into a hazmat situation. On the other hand, I'm packing enough underwear in case my three hour drive to Cape Cod results in me being deserted on an island for unknown period of time. Another common travel idiosyncrasy for me is needing to absolutely deep clean my home before I leave because of course, nobody likes to return to a messy house. I don't know what kind of mess I am expecting to return to after 2 days of an uninhabited apartment but you bet I am prepared. Again, the notion that my apartment will turn into a hazmat situation is top of mind for me.
I went to Cape Cod for the first time ever in my 28 years of life as a Connecticut resident. I understand that it's certainly unusual that I have never been to the Cape but my friends treated me like I have never seen the ocean before. Needless to say, I'm definitely sorry that it took me so long to venture 4 hours out east especially since I made many drives back and forth to Boston during my college years.
During my short trip, I ate a lot of fried seafood, drank many glasses of wine, and came home to a refrigerator stocked with a jar of pickles (literally never go without one), several green peppers, and a bunch of cilantro that I insisted on taking with me on my trip (I told you I am weird with packing). The pickings were slim and my waistline has not been, so really my only option was to work with what I have. No, I did not make pickled stuffed peppers, but I did make fabulous ground turkey stuffed peppers. I promise you probably have all of the ingredients to make the filling already on hand. If you don't have ground turkey you can totally make these with ground beef or ground chicken. You can also double the rice and make a vegetarian version.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 16 oz jar of salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 14 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 green bell peppers sliced lengthwise with seeds and ribs removed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced cilantro (plus more for garnish)
1/4 cup water
1/2 Monterey Jack shredded cheese
diced avocado (for garnish)
1. In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
2. Add in the ground turkey and stir with a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces. Cook until turkey is completely browned, about 6 - 7 minutes.
3. Add in the jar of salsa and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until sauce becomes thick. Stir in black beans and frozen corn, and rice. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cut peppers into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Season the peppers with salt and pepper. Add in a generous scoop of the meat/rice mixture into the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and spread an even layer of cheese on the top of each pepper. Cover with foil and let cheese melt.
6. Serve with additional cilantro and fresh diced avocado.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 16 oz jar of salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 14 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 green bell peppers sliced lengthwise with seeds and ribs removed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced cilantro (plus more for garnish)
1/4 cup water
1/2 Monterey Jack shredded cheese
diced avocado (for garnish)
1. In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
2. Add in the ground turkey and stir with a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces. Cook until turkey is completely browned, about 6 - 7 minutes.
3. Add in the jar of salsa and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until sauce becomes thick. Stir in black beans and frozen corn, and rice. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cut peppers into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Season the peppers with salt and pepper. Add in a generous scoop of the meat/rice mixture into the peppers. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and spread an even layer of cheese on the top of each pepper. Cover with foil and let cheese melt.
6. Serve with additional cilantro and fresh diced avocado.
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