Try this recipe for low-glycemic stuffed bell peppers for a filling (and tasty) entree. You need to do a bit of work cleaning out peppers and doctoring tomato sauce, but this dish is well worth the effort.
Low-Glycemic Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
3 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2/3 cup canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
One 4 1/4-ounce can sliced ripe olives
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 large orange or yellow bell peppers, cored and seeded, with bottoms intact
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Nonstick cooking spray
6 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the rice, tomatoes, onion, kidney beans, olives, pine nuts, salt, and black pepper.
Place the peppers in a microwavable dish with about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Microwave the peppers on high for 6 minutes.
While the peppers are in the microwave, mix together the tomato sauce, water, garlic, oregano, and basil in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Spray a 9-x-13-inch baking pan or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the rice mixture and half of the tomato sauce mixture, and blend well. Place the peppers bottom-side down in the sprayed dish, and stuff them to the top with the rice-tomato mixture. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the peppers. Sprinkle each pepper with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cover, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Per serving: Calories 221 (From Fat 63); Glycemic Load 8 (Low); Fat 7g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 820mg; Carbohydrate 34g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 9g.
