If you are looking for a fast and healthy dinner for two, my fonio stuffed bell peppers might be just the ticket. They are packed with “good for you” ingredients that come together in minutes making this a great meal for midweek. You could easily assemble the whole dish and have it waiting for you to bake off when you get home from work or are ready to eat.
Stuffing vegetables is a fun way to get in extra veggies, use up left overs and a great way to get a well rounded meal. Using Shipetaukin fonio in this dish, gives me extra protein, vitamins and minerals and is made in under five minutes making it a favorite around here. BTW, if you like “stuffing vegetables”, be sure to try some of my other favorites like Boursin Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Dad’s Lithuanian Stuffed Cabbage and my Italian Turkey Zucchini Canoes or my Greek Turkey Zucchini Canoes if you like those flavors. I’ve also used the fonio to stuff mushrrooms so check out the Fonio and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms recipe too. All are yummy.
To get started on the recipe, lets pull all the ingredients together and start by creating the stuffing for the peppers. Add the oil to a non-stick skillet and cook the onions, garlic and thyme for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the meat, and using a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the turkey, add salt and pepper, and brown it with the onions and garlic. Mix in the tomato sauce so it is well incorporated into the meat.
Add the spinach and let it wilt down into the meat mixture. Stir to combine. Put the mixture into a large bowl and put to the side.
Cook up the fonio. This couldn’t be easier. Fonio is very similar to couscous in that it is simple covered with hot liquid and let to sit covered for 5 minutes. Then, you simply fluff with a fork and proceed to use it like any other grain. The ratio of liquid to dry fonio is 2 to 1. Two parts liquid to one part fonio.
Here, I heat 1/2 cup of vegetable stock in a small pot over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, add the 1/4 cup of fonio, stir and remove from the heat. Cover the pot with a lid for five minutes then fluff with the fork. It doesn’t get any easier. Yes, you certainly could use water or chicken stock. Today, I used veggie stock.
Add the fluffed fonio to the bowl with the turkey and spinach mixture. Add in the cheddar cheese, half the mozzarella cheese and a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. You are now ready to prep your bell peppers and stuff them. At this point, I’d preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Have a small casserole dish ready to add the stuffed peppers to.
Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and remove the core and seeds from the peppers and discard. I’ve used red and orange peppers today, but any color bell pepper works. I do tend to stay away from the traditional green bell peppers since I find them a bit bitter when cooked. I think the yellow, orange and red peppers are sweeter and work great when stuffed. BUT, use what you have on hand or like best.
Divide the filling evenly between the two bell peppers and place the peppers in the casserole dish. Top each pepper with the remaining cheese. One note on cheese: you can use any of your favorite “melty” cheeses here. I’ve used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella but you can use all cheddar (sharp, medium or mild) or a Mexican cheese blend, etc. This is your stuffed pepper, so use your favorite cheese or mix of cheeses.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of veggie stock to the bottom of the casserole dish. This will add moisture to the dish as it bakes. It will provide a nice “steam bath” for the peppers!! Put in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the dish is heated through, the peppers are softened and the cheese on top is melted.
Plate each bell pepper and top with some fat-free Greek yogurt or sour cream. Finish with some chopped parsley or chopped chives would be good too. Dig in and enjoy. Did you like this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below and let me know how you made it you own. Did you follow the recipe exactly or experiment with different ingredients? I’d love to hear back.
If you are interested in trying fonio and experimenting with different uses like as a hot cereal or as a side dish, be sure to check out these recipes. I’ve been playing with the ingredient for awhile now, and find it to be incredibly versatile. Enjoy.
Hot Fonio Cereal with Almonds and Berries
Fonio Stuffed Bell Peppers
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Large bell peppers (yellow, red or orange)
- 1 Tsp. Olive oil
- ½ Cup Onion, chopped
- ½ Tbsp. Garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ Lb. Ground Turkey
- 2 Cups Fresh Baby spinach, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Tomato sauce
- ¼ Cheddar, shredded
- ¼ Tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Cup Part-skim mozzarella, shredded (divided)
- ¼ Cup Shipetaukin Fonio
- 3/4 Cup Vegetable broth, divided
- 2 Tbsp. Fat-free Greek yogurt (optional)
- 2 Tsp. Flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the top ¼ of each bell pepper off. Remove seeds and ribs. Put them to the side.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook until tender. About 2 minutes. Add the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Cook the meat until browned and cooked through. About 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stir. Add the spinach and cook for another minute or two. Be sure to stir once or twice. Put the mixture in a large bowl.
- Cook the fonio. In a pot, add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the dry fonio and stir. Bring back to a boil. Cover the pot and put it to the side to sit for five minutes. Then, fluff with a fork and add to the bowl with the veggies.
- Add the cheddar cheese, a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper, and half the mozzarella to the bowl. Stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly between the two bell peppers.
- Put the bell peppers in a small casserole dish and top them with the remaining cheese. Add about ¼ cup of vegetable broth in the bottom of the casserole dish. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the peppers have softened and the cheese has melted.
- Serve topped with the Greek yogurt and chopped parsley. Enjoy.
