Lunch: Baked Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers make a perfect vehicle for this hearty weeknight meal. The recipe calls for ground beef, but you could also use ground chicken or ground turkey.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Baked Stuffed Peppers

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers (about 8 oz. each)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup cooked white rice
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 °F; line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cut off stem end of each pepper, about 1/2 inch down, and use a tablespoon to scoop out seeds and membrane. If peppers don't sit upright, slice a sliver from bottom, being careful not to cut into the peppers, so they sit level while they bake.
Add peppers to pot and bring water back to a rapid boil. Cook until slightly softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
While peppers are cooking, warm 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring, until crumbled and no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves and rice. Stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. You should have about 4 cups filling.
Using tongs, remove peppers from water and drain, inverted, on paper towels. Pack each pepper with about 1 cup filling. Arrange peppers on baking sheet, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Bake until browned, about 15 minutes.