Summer Stuffed Peppers (Whole 30)

If you love stuffed peppers, guacamole, and cilantro, you'd better run to the store, because this combo of the three is really good. I should probably add that this recipe also calls for one jalapeno pepper, too, but we didn't find it spicy. Mr.4444 can't handle much, in terms of kick, and he loved this flavorful meal, so don't be scared.

I know how you all love it when food bloggers get to the point, so give me just another line or three and I'll deliver. I just want to give a shout out to my daughter Kendall, who turned me on to the Whole30 way of eating a year and a half ago. These days, I shudder at the ingredients I used to use for Mrs.4444 Cooks recipes. Now, I like to cook healthy, flavorful food, and this recipe is a great example. I called it "summer" stuffed peppers because most of the ingredients may be found in your garden, and it has a bright, summery flavor.  Now, here you go: Whole30 Stuffed Peppers, with a nod to lakeshorelady*.

Stuffed Pepper Ingredients (in order of appearance):
6-8 medium to large peppers (any colors you like), cut in half and readied for stuffing like so:


2-3 tbls ghee (or your sautéing oil of choice)
1 large, sweet onion (I used vidalia), diced
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced
1 cup riced cauliflower, cooked (I buy the frozen bags and follow their directions.)

6 tbls. cilantro, chopped and divided (2 T for the stuffing, 2 for the guacamole (next step), and 2 for garnish when serving)
kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste (I used about a teaspoon each)

Guacamole
2-3 avocados
juice of one lime
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced, salted, and allowed to get happy for about five minutes
1 roma tomatoes, diced
kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Don't be afraid to double those guac ingredients--Who doesn't love extra guac?! In fact, you may notice from my photos that I doubled the whole recipe this time--It was so good last time, and I'm guessing these will freeze nicely.

After cutting the peppers in half and cleaning them, set your oven to 375 degrees. Open the canned tomatoes and "grease" a cake pan or casserole dish with a bit of the contents so that the peppers are less likely to stick. Get a large skillet hot over medium heat, add the ghee, and saute the onions for a few minutes before adding the garlic and cooking until the onions are translucent, a few more minutes. Add the turkey, breaking up as it cooks and adding a little more ghee if needed. (I did not drain this concoction, but do what makes you happy.)

Next, add the tomatoes, jalapeno, and cauliflower. Heat through for a minute. Add one tablespoon of cilantro (save the rest for garnishing), salt and pepper to taste, give it a stir, and remove from heat.

Fill the peppers generously and place in a single layer in a casserole dish or cake pan. [The recipe I followed called for four peppers, and that's all I had, so it all fit in a single cake pan. I've adjusted this recipe and will use two pans next time.] Bake 30 minutes, uncovered.

Meanwhile, make the guacamole. I use a potato masher to mash the avocados and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir.

Serve each stuffed pepper with a good dollop of guac on top and a sprinkle of more cilantro. YUM!

This doubled batch made this many peppers and filled two small pyrex containers that I'll just eat without peppers.

And finally...here's a little funny from my cooking adventures today.

Apparently this pepper was a very willing participant!lol

So many words come to mind: gross, funny, creepy, artsy.

*I found this recipe after randomly landing on this post from A Hundred Affections' 30 of My Most Favorite Whole 30 Recipes. Let me know if you find another good one there!

Allan's Guacamole

"No offense, Barb, but that is, by far, the best guacamole I have ever eaten."

Need any more convincing to try this?

If so, you're too stubborn. (See a therapist.) 

Personally, until I found Lawrey's Guacamole Mix, I never liked guacamole. 

I fell in love, though, and so did everyone who tried my guac. 

Then the bastards stopped making it!

 I couldn't find it anywhere.

Thank goodness,

because if they hadn't stopped making my favorite guacamole mix,

I would never had made my brother-in-law, Allan's, real guacamole, 

the recipe for which has been patiently waiting for me in our family cookbook 

for two years.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados (I used 2.5)

1/4 cup peeled, finely-chopped Italian plum tomato
(oops. Just realized I forgot to peel it. Whatever.)

4 tsp seeded and minced jalapeno (I didn't measure--just used one whole jalapeno)

1/4 chopped onion (red, yum)

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (yes, a whole lemon is too much, IMO)

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice (see above)

1 tsp Worcestershire (pronounced "woostasheer")

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 tsp salt (We like sea salt.)

6 turns freshly-ground black pepper

See that? All natural ingredients. 

(Discounting the fact that I have no clue what * Worcestershire sauce is.)

First, do all of the mincing, dicing, etc.

and throw it all together

   

Don't forget the cilantro--Wow--That was such a great addition :)

Cut the avocados in half, take the pits out. 

Scoop the flesh out with a nice-sized table spoon and mash it with a potato masher until it's still chunky.

Mix everything together. 

Some would say to chill it for a bit, to give the flavors a chance to "meld." 

We skipped that step and inhaled it.

It was fantastic.

The only change I will make next time is to probably cut the Worcestershire sauce amount in half.

Maybe. It really was delicious. Very flavorful.

Good-bye, Lawrey's.

I am so over you.

From Wikipedia:

The ingredients of a traditional bottle of Worcestershire sauce sold in the UK as "The Original & Genuine Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce" are malt vinegar (from barley), spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, spice, and flavouring.^[8] The "spice, and flavouring" is believed to include cloves, soy sauce, lemons, pickles and peppers.^[8]