Ingredients: makes 4 servings
4 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
2 Tbsp. cooking fat
¼ C. chopped onion or green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 Tbsp. garlic oil)
4 kale or collard leaves, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
1 lb. ground meat (turkey, lamb, bison, grass-fed beef)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp. each cumin and chili powder OR ½ tsp. herb or spice of choice (curry powder or oregano )
½ tsp. Himalayan sea salt
¼ tsp. black, cayenne, or red pepper flake
1 C. finely chopped peeled winter squash, carrot, or sweet potato
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking dish with parchment paper. With a paring knife, slice around the top of each bell pepper and gently pull up on the stem. Discard the core and place peppers on the baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, melt the cooking fat in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the greens and cooking for 1 minute, stirring. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon into the tomato paste and spices. Cook the meat until it is mostly browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Sir in the squash and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Divide the meat and squash mixture evenly among the softened bell peppers. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the peppers look wrinkly and the meat is browned on top.
Notes: Option to freeze extras to enjoy during a busy week. To reheat, thaw overnight and heat under broiler for 4-5 minutes until tops begin to caramelize, turn off oven and allow to finish warming through. Alternatively, if frozen, preheat oven to 350°F, place frozen peppers in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes covered, uncovering for the last 10 minutes of baking.
