I
thought I’d make a brief record of how I usually cook. First, I want to say
that I don’t stay away from any foods that I absolutely love. Even if they are
high protein foods, which, as you know, is a big no-no for FH, I still make
them. What I try to do is make lower fat choices, if I can. And if I can’t, I
try to not eat them that often!
I
almost never eat red meat – like a steak, ribs or hamburger. But the reason I
don’t eat that is because I hate it! I am not sure what it is, whether it is
the fact that I didn’t eat it for years and never really developed a taste for
it, or it’s the fact that it simply does not appeal to my taste buds – not sure.
I can only say I am lucky! One less thing to consciously cross off my food
list!
I had a
bunch of fresh peppers from my yard this week. But not enough (they are never
enough!) to make pepper spread. I usually would need at least 3-4 pounds
to make it worth while. So, I decided to stuff them tonight.
The start ... - all the veggies but the onion came from the yard.
As you
can see, I use 85% lean turkey for the meat, and fat free sour cream for the
topping. The rest, is just fresh veggies, and jasmine rice. I have tried brown
rice for a while, but I am not able to find any brand that really cooks fast
enough for me! I have no patience for things that take a long time to cook, but
since I moved to Utah, because of the higher elevation, they take twice as long
as anywhere else I have cooked in my life! I am sorry, but I don’t have an hour
to boil rice! So, jasmine rice it is – and I missed including it in the raw
ingredients’ picture. So, I apologize for that.
Instead
of the canned tomato sauce, I pureed some tomatoes and made some fresh sauce
instead – it worked out beautifully, and the taste of the whole pot is amazing!
I also
half my peppers, and I fill up just halves – this way, I eat two halves instead
of 2 peppers, which makes the meat intake even smaller – although it’s lean
meat, so it’s all better.
I
sometimes add a slice of wheat or whole grain bread to the plate, when I eat
just one half of a pepper. Absolutely no butter on my bread – that’s one of my
peeves, when some restaurants try to sneak that on you.
You
will have to get used to some “color changes”: because you use turkey, it cooks
lighter than beef (more towards white, than red). Also, because of the fresh
tomatoes, the redness of the sauce is not there, either.
I bake
this in a 425 oven for about an hour and a half (again – elevation forces me
to!), and I don’t coat the baking dish with oil. I just spray some PAM on the glass
dish, and I put plenty of water in it – just about till the water level reaches
half way to the “height” of the average pepper.
The finish ... - I wish you could smell the house, right now ...
One
last note: I am usually not picky about any brands, and I am not sure who makes
the sour cream in this picture, but it is the best fat free sour cream out
there! Full of flavor, and creamy and smooth. Not watery or without a soul,
like any other brands. If you can find that in your world, get it!
Ingredients:
Jennie-O’s
85% lean turkey
Green
peppers
½ cup
jasmine rice
Any
kind of juicy, ripe tomatoes
Onions
Carrots
Fresh parsley
Fresh
dill
Salt
and pepper
PAM
Water
I
usually eyeball everything, so, sorry, but no measurements.There is no skimping on flavor here, for sure. With the fresh veggies and the onions and fresh herbs, you make a world of aromas. And baking it in a screaming hot oven for over an hour only enhances that! My husband leaves the sour cream off, but it is a Romanian staple and I cannot eat stuffed peppers without it. Try it both ways and choose your own style.
Bon appétit!
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