I used to love rice pilaf…back when my diet was largely made up of grains. There’s something really satisfying and comforting about a perfectly seasoned pile of pilaf. The fact that my mother-in-law is always cooking up amazing Armenian cuisine, which often centers around pilaf, made this particular grain-based dish really difficult for me to give up.
But there’s always a silver lining, and this time it was the discovery that cauliflower rice could be transformed into a delightful savory pilaf!
The natural next step was to throw in some ground turkey and stuff bell peppers with it :-) This dinner is packed with veggies and protein — two things that our bodies really thrive on.
Red bell peppers make a fantastic bowl for tender, savory cinnamon turkey pilaf. The pilaf is made with shredded cauliflower, rice, onions and raisins. My kids eat this with zero complaints.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, shredded
½ yellow onion, shredded
dash of sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound ground turkey
1 head cauliflower, shredded
⅓ cup golden raisins
1 cup chicken broth
dash of black pepper
4 red bell peppers
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Place the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the shredded carrots and onion. Cook for three minutes. Add the salt, cinnamon and ground turkey. Cook until the meat is browned and the onions soft. Add the cauliflower, raisins, broth and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Halve the bell peppers lengthwise, removing the seeds and membranes. Spoon the turkey mixture into bell pepper halves. Place the stuffed bell pepper halves in a 9x13x2 baking pan. Add a cup of water to the pan, so that it reaches the mid point on the peppers, being careful not to get the water into the peppers. Cover the pan in foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle each pepper with sliced almonds and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn on the high broil for a minute to toast the almonds.
Calories: 155
Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates: 13g
Sodium: 120mg
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 14g
Sugar: 5g