Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey

By The Gluten Free Goddess
My flavors are closer to Southwestern than Italian here, so if you prefer more traditional flavors, add Italian herbs instead of the smoked chile and cumin (but Dear Reader, the smoky addition of chipotle gives these babies a serious kick in the backside).

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1 lb ground turkey
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 cup roasted corn kernels (you can pan-toast frozen kernels in a pinch)
2 rounded tablespoons pine nuts or toasted sunflower seeds
1 cup or so cooked brown rice
Chipotle powder, to taste [or other favorite chili spice]
1/2 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
3 large bell peppers: 1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 green, halved and seeded
6 heaping spoonfuls of your favorite prepared salsa- spicy or mild
6 slices fresh goat cheese- omit for dairy-free

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet  over medium heat and cook the ground turkey till browned; drain off any liquid, if you need to.
Add a dash more olive oil; heat; add the chopped garlic, onion, corn, and pine nuts; stir and heat through.
Add a cup of cooked brown rice, stir and lightly mix. Add a dash more olive oil, if needed, to moisten. Add chipotle, cumin and paprika. Season mixture with sea salt and pepper. Stir well to combine the flavors. Remove from heat. Add in the chopped cilantro. If you need a little more rice to fill large peppers- add some in and toss.
Choose a shallow baking dish that will fit the halved peppers. Stuff the halved peppers with the brown rice mixture, pressing in firmly; use as much stuffing as you can. Place the stuffed peppers in the baking dish.
Top each pepper with a spoonful of salsa, and a slice of goat cheese, if using.
Pour about an inch of hot boiled water into the bottom of the baking pan, around the peppers, and loosely cover the pan with a foil tent. This helps to cook the peppers. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the peppers are fork tender.
These colorful stuffed peppers can be served as a side dish or a main dish.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
Total Servings: 6

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 445
Carbohydrates: 36.1g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Fat: 21.3g
Saturated Fat: 7.3g
Fiber: 3.4g
Sodium: 191mg
Protein: 30.4g