Traverse City Record-Eagle

Life

March 15, 2010

Recipe of the Week: Low-Fat Stuffed Peppers

Mary Ellowitz, of Maple City, is on a quest to lose weight and follow a low-fat diet to preserve her health. "Most of the diet plans I have tried in the past either left me hungry and craving more food, or they were frustrating with all the measuring and weighing involved. I finally discovered that omitting desserts and following a low-fat vegetarian diet kept me full, happy, and I lost weight without even trying." She eats three meals a day plus snacks of fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts and relies heavily on spices to flavor her food.

"I've developed a few recipes during the year that my husband not only eats, but asks for. Here's one of his favorites," she said.

Best Low-Fat Southwest Stuffed Peppers

4 medium green peppers or mixed green and red peppers

1 T. cooking oil

11/4 c. chopped onions

1 large clove garlic

1 seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper

11/4 c. frozen corn kernels

3 veggie burgers (Ellowitz uses Morning Star Farms Mushroom Lover's), chopped

1/2 t. or more EACH of ground cumin, chili powder, oregano

1 (16-oz.) can Mexican or regular chopped tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

3/4 c. shredded low-fat Mexican or low-fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boiling on stove top.

Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Immerse pepper halves in the boiling water and set timer for 2 minutes, then carefully and quickly remove peppers from water and drain upside down on a tray or plate. (If desired, save the water to add to soup.)

Heat oil in large skillet and stir fry onions until semi-transparent. Add garlic and jalapeno, and continue to stir fry for 2 more minutes. Add corn, chopped veggie burgers, and spices and continue to stir fry another 2 minutes. Add undrained can chopped tomatoes and the cilantro and stir fry another minute.

Remove mixture from stove top and fill peppers with the mixture.

Lightly spray a large casserole dish, such as a lasagna pan, with cooking spray and arrange filled pepper halves inside. Cover with lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each pepper with cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for five more minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Serve with guacamole, nonfat refried beans, and/or a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, avocado and cilantro.

We'll send you a Record-Eagle "We've got you covered" apron if you send us a recipe, along with your name, mailing address, phone number and some details on you, where you got the recipe and the reactions it gets, to: Recipe of the Week, Record-Eagle, 120 W. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49685; fax (231) 946-8632; or e-mail jtaylor@record-eagle.com.

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