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Stuffed peppers are a healthy and versatile dish because you can choose to put a variety of ingredients as the “stuffing”. Traditional stuffing is made usually with ground meat, cheese and some veggies but I like to make my own version that is both vegetarian and gluten-free. Another great thing about this stuffed pepper dish is that you can make it either on the stove or in a crockpot. IMG_0505

Ingredients: (serving size=6)

  • 6 bell peppers
  • 8 oz of organic frozen spinach (preferably whole leaf)
  • 6 oz of organic cottage cheese
  • 2 cups of cooked brown rice
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 mushrooms, diced
  • 1 cup of corn
  • 1 cup of carrots, diced
  • 1/4 cup of onions, diced
  • parsley, chopped
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of pepper flakes
  • Options: parmesan cheese, grated

Crockpot Directions:

  1. Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
  2. Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions become translucent.
  4. Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted (~3 min).
  5. Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
  6. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
  7. Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
  8. Place the stuffed peppers (with the opening facing up) into the crock pot.
  9. Using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
  10. Add the vegetable stock to the base of the crockpot. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
  11. Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
  12. Cook the stuffed peppers on high heat for 3 hours.
  13. Serve warm and enjoy!

Stop Top Directions:

  1. Cook the brown rice either in a rice cooker or on the stove top. Do this few hours early or the night before (you can refrigerate the rice).
  2. Cut the tops off the bell pepper and removed all the seeds and ribs. The split the peppers into half vertically.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
  4. Add the mushrooms, spinach and corn. Cover the skillet and let it cook in low-medium heat until the frozen spinach is melted. (~3 min)
  5. Add the cooked rice and season with pepper flakes and salt
  6. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix the 2 eggs, then add the mix into the rest of the stuffing.
  7. Add chopped parsley, cottage cheese. Blend and season the mix with pepper.
  8. In a separate skillet, add ~1 tbsp of olive oil and place the stuffed peppers the skillet. Let it cook in medium heat ~3 mins.
  9. Turn off the stove, and using a spoon fill each of the peppers with the “stuffing”.
  10. Add the vegetable stock to the base of the pan. Avoid adding any liquid to the inside of the pepper.
  11. Option: top each of the stuffed peppers with grated parmesean.
  12. Put a lid over the skillet and cook the stuffed peppers on low heat for  ~30 minutes or until the liquids are gone.
  13. Serve warm and enjoy!

-NZ