ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Now don't judge. I made the executive decision to use Beyond Sausages in this recipe. My daughter and her boyfriend, who eat a ton of fast food, were coming over for dinner and requested stuffed peppers. Given the other ingredients in this recipe, I figured it would be the most vegetables, grains, and herbs they would eat all week. Sometimes, you have to meet people where they are to help them transition towards a healthier diet! Are Beyond Sausages healthy? Heavens no. Are they a less-unhealthy choice compared to pork sausages? Probably. Would our new family pig, Dottie, appreciate the trend to use plant-based sausages? No doubt!

The original “The Simple Veganista” recipe calls for tempeh, not sausages, but my daughter does not like tempeh.

What does Dr. Greger say about the plant-based meat substitutes? Watch this 3 minute excerpt from an interview with him: Why Meat Replacements Are Great For New Vegans

Here is an news article from CNBC about Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods products: Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and the plant-based burger of the summer. Here are the diet facts you need to know.

ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients

6 large bell peppers, any color, top cut off and seeds removed (I used 8, 6 were medium and 2 very large)

1 medium onion, diced (About 1 cup)

2 (8oz) packages tempeh, crumbled (I used 4 Beyond Sausages instead)

1 cup zucchini, diced (I used 2 cups because I did not have yellow squash and I chopped in a food processor)

1 cup yellow squash, diced (Did not use because couldn’t find)

8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced (I chopped whole cremini mushrooms in a food processor)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano (Instead of separate oregano and basil I used 2 tsp Italian Seasoning)

1 teaspoon dried basil (Did not use)

generous pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (I only used 3 TBSP)

1 can (14oz.) tomato sauce (I didn’t have so used 15 oz can diced tomatoes and pulsed it in a food processor)

1 cup cooked rice (I used 2 cups)

Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Remove the thin outer covering of each Beyond Sausage and break into small pieces into a large skillet.

3. Over medium heat cook the Beyond Sausage and onion together for several minutes. If desired, drain in a colander to remove some oil then return to the skillet. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, garlic, and dried spices. Add the fresh parsley and tomato sauce. Cook for several minutes. Add rice and mix to combine. Remove from heat.

4. Fill each bell pepper with vegetable mixture, making sure to pack it well. Return the caps to the top of the peppers. Place in a baking dish and cover with lid or cover with parchment paper then tin foil. (I don’t like tin foil coming in contact with my food while cooking.)

5. Bake on the center rack for 35-40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Cooking times vary, adjust to suit your needs. (I cooked 60 minutes and the peppers were still firmer than I like. Next time I will pre-cook them first. Here is how to pre-cook peppers.)