October 2011 Newsletter

Food Focus:  Bell Peppers

Green peppers are near the top of the “dirty dozen” list that the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org)  posts of the fruit and vegetables with the most pesticide residue.  So it’s important to get your peppers from a local farmer you can trust, especially if you are a bell pepper fan.

        These peppers are high in vitamin C.  Eaten raw they add a nice crunch to many dishes, as well as taste.  As members of the nightshade family, however, they may exacerbate arthritis.  So if you are arthritic, try eliminating peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants to see if symptoms diminish.

        It’s interesting what a difference color makes.  In the table below, you will see that red peppers trump all in terms of vitamin A, but that yellow ones carry the day for vitamin C.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database

Recipe of the Month: Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers

1 chopped onion (about 1 cup, cooked) 

Minced garlic (4 cloves, or more)

˝ lb. (1 cup) ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, lamb)

1 cup of cooked brown rice

1 cup of canned stewed tomatoes

˝ cup of raisins

Salt pepper and spices (ground cumin, ground cinnamon). 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Gently fry the onions & garlic in a big skillet in one or two tablespoons of coconut or other cooking oil for about 5 minutes.  Prepare the peppers by coring them from the top.  Without piercing the bottoms, flatten them by shaving off protuberances. 

Add the meat to the pan and cook it evenly for about 5 minutes and add your rice, salt, pepper, and spices. 

Last, chop the tomatoes and add them and the raisins and mix it all well together.

Place the peppers in a covered baking dish, stuff with the mixture, put the “hats” back on the peppers, and add a quarter of an inch of water. Bake for half an hour or until the peppers are soft.