stuffed

Most of the time when I make dinner one of two things is true - either I have made the dish so many times I don't even think about the recipe or I am trying something new and following a recipe I think sounded good. However, on rare occasions I take a flying leap and just make it up as I go along. Such is the case with these stuffed peppers. Let me start by saying I have no idea what real stuffed peppers are supposed to be like. I never had one when I was eating meat. (It is like sushi. That fade happened after I stopped eating meat, and as such, other than occasional avocado roll, I haven't had it.) So, here is my (vegetarian) version of stuffed peppers.

To make these you will need:
2 large green peppers
1 cup of soy "meat" crumbles or ground beef
1 small squash, chopped
1/4 onion sliced
2 tblsp of bbq sauce
salt, pepper and garlic powder
2 tblsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of shredded cheese

I started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. I then greased a high sided ceramic baking dish. Next I slice the bell peppers in half and seeded them. I placed them in the dish and set them aside. Next I put one tblsp of olive oil in a pan and added in the onion. I sauteed the onion over medium heat until soft. I then added the squash for about 2 minutes. I seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I placed this mixture in a medium bowl. I added the rest of the oil to the pan and added in the frozen soy crumbles, heating them until thawed. If you use beef instead just cook until brown. I then added the ground "meat" to the squash and onion mixture. I stirred it together with the bbq sauce. I then added this to the peppers and topped each with cheese. I used a mix of provolone and mozzarella, but I think cheddar would be fine too. I then baked the peppers for about 25 minutes - until the cheese began to brown.

They were really wonderful, not that the carnivore had any (too many strange veggies). He had pork chops this night. But I enjoyed them enough for the both of us. They were really simple to make and very filling. I would even say I was stuffed (pun intended). Plus, I nourished my body with great things like vitamin A, beta carotene, chromium, vitamin C, and protein - all in one cute little pepper. Not too shabby for a dish I just made up!

menu ideas:
As I said, when I had these vegetarian stuffed peppers the carnivore had pork chops, but you can certainly make them meat eater friendly if your carnivore is more veggie adventurous. We both enjoyed some couscous and golden zucchini as sides.