30 Minute Stuffed Peppers
Move over “exact estimate,” there’s a new oxymoron in town: “simple showstopper.” Flavor-packed and easy-to-make, these stuffed peppers are awfully good.
PDF file of recipe available here.
Like many LAFFkitchen recipes, these peppers make an outstanding holiday entree or busy workweek dinner.
Ingredients (serves 4, assuming everyone has one full pepper)
1¾ cups LAFF protein crumbles (or other protein) 4 bell peppers 2.5 cups riced cauliflower 28 oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil (high quality makes a difference!) 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I used a white balsamic) 2 tablespoons dried oregano 1½ teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon fennel powder (or crushed fennel seeds) ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper Fresh basil for garnish
Slice the peppers from top to bottom.
Method
Heat the oven to 415 Fahrenheit.
Cut the peppers in half length-wise. Remove the membranes. Place the peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
While the peppers bake, cut the cauliflower into florets. Pulse the florets (and leftover pepper tops) in a food processer until you have “rice” (gravel-sized pieces). Of course, you can buy cauliflower that’s already riced.
Heat the olive oil, oregano, and thyme for 2-3 minutes in a large cast iron skillet. No cast iron skillet? A wok, saucepan, or any pot that holds at least 2 quarts will work.
Skip this step by buying riced cauliflower.
Stir in the vinegar and garlic powder; add the riced cauliflower. (Save any leftover cauliflower for stirfry, salad, etc.). Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
Drain most of the liquid from the can of tomatoes and then add the tomatoes, along with the sea salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
Add LAFF protein crumbles. Cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes.
Use a clean spoon to taste the LAFF-cauliflower stuffing. For more brightness, add vinegar or salt. For more depth, add oil.
Remove the peppers from the oven. Pour out any pools of water from the bottom of the peppers.
Generously pile the LAFF-cauliflower stuffing into the pepper halves. Mound it up!
Bake for 7-8 minutes (oven should still be 415 F).
Keep cooking the stuffing in the skillet until the liquid is absorbed. This picture is before the LAFF was added.
While the peppers cook, mince handful of fresh basil leaves. (Also, wash dishes, set table, etc.)
Remove the peppers from the oven. Use a spatula—and your very clean hands—to arrange the peppers on a platter or individual plates. Top with the basil and serve.
Notes
Pile the peppers with stuffing!
Make these peppers extra special by using infused or flavored oil and vinegar. Virginia-based vinegar companies with special flavors include Lindera Farms and Virginia Vinegar Works.
There’s no need to be exact with the measurements in this recipe. TASTE as you go to tailor the flavors to your produce and your preference.
If you use frozen riced cauliflower, thaw it before adding to the skillet.
Not a basil fan? Garnish with fresh Italian parsley.
Craving cheese? Add nutritional yeast (such as Bob’s Red Mill) before the final 7-8 minutes in the oven.
Love garlic? Add minced garlic to the skillet with the olive oil (skip the garlic powder).
Tomato recommendation: Muir Glenn Organic diced fire-roasted, no salt added.
You can up the veggie content even more by adding a little chopped spinach, zucchini, etc, to the skillet. But you do run the risk of a watery stuffing. I’ve found that a side salad is a better way to get my greens than to risk a soupy stuffing.
*I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any companies other than LAFFkitchen.