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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey + Harissa Dip


 So I don't what things are like at your house, but planning meals can be chaos at mine. Between two working adults, dietary restrictions, and trying to decorate a new home, busy is an understatement. I can't imagine how my friends with children pull it off.

My sister's a big meal prepper so I have been trying to channel her energy and plan ahead on weekends to make sure I have some leftovers for weeknight dinners and lunches so the boyfriend and I aren't staring inside an empty fridge during the day with a rumbly stomach. It's been happening more often than I'd like the last month and usually results in late night Taco Bell or Popeye's runs (which I'm sure is great for their bottom line, but not so much for our waistlines and health). 

I made these stuffed peppers with ground turkey for a quick, healthy meal that provides enough leftovers for a couple to avoid all of the nonsense I've described above. I also made a mini veggie charcuterie board with a harissa dip to tide our bellies over until I made dinner. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :)


Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey

Serves 4

1/2 lb ground turkey

4 oz baby spinach

5 bell peppers

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp Trader Joe's 21 season salute seasoning

1/2 tsp Columbia restaurant seasoning

 
1. Prep the bell peppers. Dice 1 bell pepper completely and place in a large bowl. Cut the tops off the remaining 4, clean the insides, and set aside. Place ground turkey in the bowl and add all the seasonings. Also feel free to season this dish LIBERALLY. I've provided suggested amounts, but I re-seasoned after my initial go through. I made sure that every inch was evenly coated with spices before I mixed everything together.

1. Heat a skillet over low heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Turkey is very lean so cooking it with a bit more oil helps keep the flavor in. 

2. Place the ground turkey mix in the pan. Let the turkey cook until it is no longer pink about 5-10 minutes. It is important to not let it over cook. Also to add a bit more fat and flavor to the meat, I drizzled more olive oil over the top of the meat in the skillet.

3. As the turkey is towards the end of cooking, add in the spinach and mix until it has just wilted. Then turn off the stove and move the pan to a unused burner.

4. Stuff each of the peppers with an equal amount of the spiced turkey mixture while the oven is heating up to 425 degrees. Then bake the peppers for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the beppers are just browned and wilting.

Alternative ideas: You can mix breadcrumbs or rice into the seasoned turkey mix before stuffing the peppers for a more filling variation of this recipe. Baking times might vary if this is done.

Harissa Dip

1 bottle of Trader Joe's Traditional Tunisian Harissa

1 tub of sour cream

Note: This dip is always a hit when I make it, but keep in mind that it is spicy and will need to be modified for the crowd eating it. I'm South Asian so I like my food with a bit of a kick so my recipe might need to be toned down for a milder taste.

1. Mix the harissa and the sour cream in a 1:2 ratio (aka 1 tbsp of harissa to 2 tbsp sour cream). For a milder dip, mix in more sour cream.


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