Stuffed Peppers with Rice, Apples & Bacon
These peppers are easy to prepare and make a great side dish to accompany any meal. Try using a variety of coloured peppers to add some colour to a winter weekday meal.
Makes 6 servings.
6 medium sized bell peppers
1 1/2 cups instant rice
2 tbsp. chicken bouillon powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 cup button mushrooms, diced
2 cups apples, peeled, seeded and diced
6 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Wash peppers. Remove the top of the pepper and clean out the inside. Place peppers on a baking tray, set aside.
Prepare instant rice following the instructions on the back of the box. Add chicken bouillon powder and dried thyme to the rice water.
In a large saucepan, place 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sauté onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and celery. Sauté until soft. Add zucchini, mushrooms, apples and chopped bacon. Sauté for five minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Add rice and combine ingredients well.Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Once rice mixture has cooled slightly, stuff each pepper with filling. Place on baking tray. Top each pepper with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Place tray in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until peppers are soft.
Per Serving: 325 calories, 43 grams carbohydrates (50%), 10.3 grams protein (13%), 13.5 grams fat (37%). Suitable for Diabetic diets. One serving supplies 2 1/2 servings of fruits and vegetables.