Healthy Low Calorie Recipes:
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Photo: Another Pint Please
Bell peppers are among the greatest sources of vitamin C and carotenoids, making this a nice addition to your collection of healthy low calorie recipes. They are also quite colorful, so this recipe is ideal for any festive occasion where you want to add some sparkle to the table!
The longer you let a bell pepper ripen, the greater the concentration of vitamin C and carotenoids, so try to get your peppers from a local source, such as a farmers' market, where they are more likely to be picked when ripe, as opposed to having to be picked early so that it can be shipped across the country to your supermarket. Though all colors of bell peppers are high in these nutrients, red bell peppers contain the highest levels of vitamin C.
When buying bell peppers be sure they are heavy for their size and firm. Avoid any that have soft or dark spots, or are not bright in color, indicating a lack of freshness. They will keep for about a week in the refrigerator, and if you keep a damp paper towel in the veggie drawer with them, it will help them to retain their moisture and keep them fresher longer.
Using pastured ground beef is a healthy way of getting some red meat in your diet without the hormones and antibiotics that conventional ground beef contains. Organic grass fed beef contains higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acid, vitamin E and CLA, while being naturally lower in saturated fat.
This is one of the best healthy low calorie recipes for those who want to eat less meat, but still include it in their diet. Each serving contains less than 3 ounces of beef, but provides plenty of flavor.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
| Yield | 6 |
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| Prep Time | 25 minutes |
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| Cook Time | 1 hour |
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Ingredients
- 6 bell peppers (any color)
- 1 pound organic pastured ground beef
- 1 egg
- 4 slices cubed whole wheat bread
- 1 chopped onion (small)
- 1 diced tomato
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, gently mix together the ground beef, egg, bread cubes, onion, tomato, garlic, chili sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Wash the peppers, slice off the tops, and scoop out the seeds and cores. Stuff the peppers lightly with the beef stuffing, and place them in the prepared baking dish so they are touching.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is cooked through but still juicy, about 1 hour.
