Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers
ACTIVE: 40 min. TOTAL: 1 hr. 10 min.
30g CARB
Look for bell peppers with even bottoms,
so that they stand upright on their own.
(Photo: page 71.)
6 large green, yellow, or orange
bell peppers
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken
thighs, trimmed and cut into
1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. salt-free Cajun seasoning
(see Tip), divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 link andouille sausage (3-4 oz.),
sliced
½ cup diced celery
1 small onion, diced (½ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large
rimmed baking sheet with parchment
paper or foil. - Cut tops off peppers and carefully
remove the core and seeds, taking care
not to split the skin. Dice the pepper
tops and set aside. Place the peppers on
the prepared baking sheet; bake for 20
minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Discard any accumulated liquid in the
bottom of the peppers. - Meanwhile, season chicken on all
sides with 1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning.
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over
medium heat. Add half of the chicken
and cook, turning to brown all sides, 4 to
6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a me
dium bowl with a slotted spoon. Repeat
with the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and
the remaining chicken. - Add sausage to the nowempty skillet
and cook, stirring occasionally, until
lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add
celery, onion, and the reserved diced
pepper; cook, stirring often, until the
onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic, the remaining 1 Tbsp. Cajun
seasoning, and salt; cook, stirring, for
30 seconds. Add tomatoes and tomato
paste; stir to combine, scraping any
brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add broth, rice, and the chicken with
any accumulated juices; stir to combine.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain
a simmer and cook, stirring occa
sionally, until the chicken has cooked
through and the rice has softened, 5 to
10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir.
Let stand, covered, until all liquid is ab
sorbed, about 10 minutes.- Divide the chicken mixture among the
peppers, spooning about 1¼ cups into
each one and mounding it on top, if nec
essary. Bake until heated through, about
20 minutes.
SERVES 6: 1 stuffed pepper each
CAL 346, CARB 30g (fiber 6g, sugars 8g), FAT 12g
(sat. fat 2g), PROTEIN 31g, CHOL 104mg, SODIUM
559mg, POTASSIUM 670mg.TIP: We prefer homemade Cajun sea
soning, because it has more flavor and
fewer preservatives than the store
bought versions. For saltfree Cajun
seasoning, mix 1 Tbsp. paprika, 1 tsp.
each onion powder and garlic powder,
½ tsp. each dried oregano and thyme,
and ¼ tsp. each cayenne and ground
pepper. You will have slightly more than
you need for this recipe; use it to season
eggs, chicken, fish, or vegetables. (Want
to have extra on hand? Multiply these
amounts by four.) Store in a covered jar
for up to 6 months.Lamb-Stuffed Eggplant
ACTIVE: 30 min. TOTAL: 55 min.
35g CARBThis Middle-Eastern-inspired dish uses
just a small amount of lamb, which keeps
the saturated fat in check. It calls for
cooked brown rice, which you can prepare
up to a day ahead. Save time by using in-
stant brown rice, which cooks in under 10
minutes. (Photo: page 68.)6 baby eggplants, halved
lengthwise1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced (½ cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
½ lb. 85%-lean ground lamb
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1½ cups cooked brown rice
¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking
sheet with foil or parchment paper and
coat with cooking spray. - Score the cut sides of the eggplants in
a crisscross pattern, being careful not
to cut through the skin. Place, cutside
down, on the prepared baking sheet and
bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the
oven and set aside. - Heat oil in a large skillet over medi
umhigh heat. Add onion and pepper;
cook, stirring often, until the onion is
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic
and ginger; cook, stirring, for 30 sec
onds more. Add lamb, cumin, coriander,
turmeric, salt, pepper, and cayenne;
cook, breaking up the lamb into smaller
pieces, until it is no longer pink, about 5
minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stir
ring, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat
and stir in rice. - When the eggplants are cool enough
to handle, carefully scoop out the flesh
with a spoon, making sure not to tear
the skin and leaving about ¼ inch of
flesh attached to the skin. Chop the
scoopedout eggplant and add to the
lamb mixture. - Divide the lamb mixture among the
eggplant halves, spooning about ½ cup
into each one. Return the eggplants to
the oven and bake until heated through
and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
To serve, top each eggplant half with 1
Tbsp. yogurt.
SERVES 6: 2 stuffed eggplant halves each
CAL 292, CARB 35g (fiber 10g, sugars 12g), FAT 12g
(sat. fat 4g), PROTEIN 14g, CHOL 29mg, SODIUM
455mg, POTASSIUM 851mg.Nourish: STUFFED VEGETABLES