Power Foods Friday- Hearty Fall Stuffed Peppers

Hey bloggers! I'm so excited to be back posting with the Spatularettes! I've been such a fan of Meghan and Laura's work in the blog-a-sphere that I decided to get back into my own blog, PaceOfMind. 

This post I wanted to try something for Power Food Fridays that went along with the change in seasons. Fall is defiently invading Lewisburg... I know this because of the following: 1) the local Freeze closes for the winter next week 2) all my air conditioners are off and the blankets are out 3) farmers are seen picking baby pumpkins and leaving them on the side of the road, free for the taking 4) seasonal produce are shifting gears 5) long sleeve tees are becoming more and more vital during morning runs. All of these things have resulted in me searching for heartier meals like vegetarian chili and stews to keep me satisfied. But my favorite of all is stuffed bell peppers. They are hearty, give me my daily boost of protein and look yummy!

I stopped off at the Lewisburg Farmer's Market this Wednesday. My haul from the market was awesome this week! I picked up some organic, grass fed ground turkey, local green bell peppers and assorted mushrooms. Add that to some gravy (yes, I'm from NJ so I call my marinara sauce gravy) with minced garlic, red onion and pepper flakes and you have yourself a "Hello Fall" Power Foods Friday!

Ingredients:

1 green bell pepper

4 oz ground turkey (use organic, grass fed when possible)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/4 red onion

1/2 jaleneno

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

sprinkle of mozzerela cheese

1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

I'm a multi-tasker, so while I'm prepping my food I like to get the oven cookin'. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking dish with some tin foil. Set aside. In a saucepan, on medium heat, spritz a few sprays of cooking spray (olive oil brand) for a minute. Dice your red onion and garlic and add to the pan. Sautee until soft. Add your turkey and cook until slightly brown. 

This is where I like to add my mushrooms... this way the mushrooms cook along with the browning of your meat. Season with your pepper flakes and add the marinara sauce. Lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occationally.

While you let the meat and sauce simmer, core your green pepper, removing the top stem and the seeds inside. Your meat should be browned and full of flavor from simmering in the sauce... take your cored pepper and fill with meat. Set your stuffed pepper on the baking tin and bake at 375 for 15 minutes- Note: I like my pepper to be crispier, so I often remove after 10 minutes. Keep checking back to test how firm you like your pepper. Remove your pepper, dust the top with shedded mozzarella and heat again until the cheese is melted.

What you end up with is the perfect meal to sit with on a cool fall evening with the windows open. Enjoy!

Pam xo