Dr. Oz Get Cooking Thursday Jan.20th With The Kitchen Diva’s Energy-Boosting Stuffed Bell Peppers
Austin’s Angela Shelf Medearis, the Kitchen Diva, made an appearance Thursday on “The Dr. Oz Show”, cooking these stuffed bell peppers as part of a segment on fighting exhaustion. Dr Oz says if your exhausted all the time, the culprit may be poor nutrition. Make this stuffed pepper recipe your new go-to meal to get your energy levels up. It’s full of vitamins A and C which fight stress and exhaustion, respectively.
Dr. Oz Energy-Boosting Stuffed Bell Peppers
8 red, yellow or orange bell peppers or a mixture of all (about 4 pounds)
2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil, divided
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
16 oz. fresh Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing, or lean ground turkey
1 (16 oz.) jar chunky salsa, mild or hot
2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and chopped, or 1 (10 oz.) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture
1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese
2 large avocados, peeled and pit removed, sliced
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, slicing from the stem to the bottoms, leaving the stems intact. Remove the white pithy ribs near stem and down length of inside. Remove the ribs and seeds and discard. Place the peppers in a shallow 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover the dish with foil, and bake the peppers 15 to 20 minutes, until they start to soften.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder and cumin; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice and quinoa (optional).
Carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers. Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Top each pepper with a heaping tablespoon of yogurt. Place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately. Serves 8.
