Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook

214 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes

T Smoked Gouda–Stuffed Peppers

Sweet green peppers go well with smoked Gouda and fresh basil in this baked entrée.

Dry basil simply won’t give it the same flavor. We use veggie protein crumbles to

replace traditional sausage, reducing the saturated fat and increasing the fiber.

Stage: Regular foods

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (^1 ⁄ 2 pepper each)

2 large green bell peppers, cut in half

lengthwise and seeded

Water

6 ounces Morningstar Farm Sausage Style

Recipe Crumbles

(^3) ⁄ 4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large chopped plum tomato
(^2) ⁄ 3 cup instant brown rice
(^1) ⁄ 3 cup chopped fresh basil
(^1) ⁄ 3 cup finely shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2 Place peppers cut-side down in a large, microwave-safe dish. Fill the dish with^1 ⁄ 2 inch
water, cover, and microwave on high until the peppers are tender crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
Drain the water and transfer the peppers to a roasting pan.
3 While peppers are in the microwave, heat a medium sauté pan. When hot, add breakfast
crumbles, broth, tomato, and rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to medium low,
and simmer until the rice is softened but still moist, about 10 minutes.
4 Stir the basil and half the cheese into the rice mixture. Divide the filling into the peppers,
then top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, approximately
10 minutes.
Per serving: Calories 190 (From Fat 50); Fat 6g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 440mg; Carbohydrate
21g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 13g; Sugar 3g.