Meatless Monday here we come! Even before getting our degrees in nutrition we knew there was something so great about how plant-based foods made us feel! And although it’s hard to imagine that cool weather is right around the corner, before you know it will be upon us…. so we’ve got just the perfect comfort food! Because we also always knew there was something so great about comfort food. 😉 These warm and cheesy stuffed peppers were inspired by our latest book The Nutrition Twins’ Veggie Cure and they will hit the spot like some of our other latest faves (our Quinoa Breakfast Nibbles and Mini Vegan Carrot Cakes) leaving you feeling every bit satisfied, yet completely free of guilt! Oh yeah! 🙂

 

Skinny Cheesy Stuffed Peppers

 

Skinny Cheesy Stuffed Peppers

 

Serves 6

 

Ingredients:

6 medium bell peppers, assorted colors

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup cooked or canned lentils

½ cauliflower head, medium

½ cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp basil, fresh & chopped

1 Tbsp oregano, fresh

1 tsp thyme, fresh

½ cup fat free feta, crumbled

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, unsalted

Black Pepper, to taste

¼ cup of shaved Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Creating Cauliflower Rice

Place ½ head of cauliflower into a food processor, until it is finely chopped and looks similar to the consistency of rice. Set aside.

 

Preparing Peppers

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Slice tops off of pepper. Discard tops. Core and remove excess seeds of each pepper. Blanch peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drop in ICE water until cooled. Shake off excess water and peppers will be ready to be stuffed.

 

Stuffing Peppers

In a medium pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, lentils, and cauliflower rice, cooking for 6-7 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, combine fresh herbs (oregano, basil and thyme), feta cheese, diced tomatoes, and salt/pepper to taste.  Add vegetable mix and combine thoroughly.

 

Spray a 8 x 8 dish with oil and set aside. Stuff each pepper by packing to the top with a spoon. Carefully arrange peppers in dish. Top each pepper with 1 T. of shaved Parmesan cheese.

 

Bake for 25 minutes, until cheese begins to brown. (May broil the last 2 minutes, if needed)

 

Enjoy!

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 220 Calories, 6g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 26g Carbohydrate, Protein 17g, 9g Fiber, 388mg Sodium, 9mg Cholesterol