Stuffed Peppers with Lentils and Ground Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup red or brown lentils
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced) or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 lb lean ground chicken
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Optional: 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 small bell peppers (any color or assorted colors)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (low-sodium, fat-free, gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add lentils, water, ginger, garlic and turmeric to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. While lentils are cooking, mix ground chicken, cilantro, salt (optional), ground black pepper and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Cut the tops off of the peppers and cut out seed pod (save the tops). Clean out the ribs and any seeds from the inside of the peppers and line the peppers “standing up” in a baking dish. Set the tops off to the side. (Note: If the peppers won’t sit upright, trim just a little bit off the bottom of the peppers to even it out so it will sit up straight. Try not to cut a hole in the bottom so the mixture inside does not fall out).
5. Once the lentils have cooled, stir them in to the chicken mixture and mix well to incorporate.
6. Fill each pepper with the chicken and lentil mixture but do not pack the mixture in tightly. Just gently fill to the top.
7. Place each pepper top back on to the peppers filled with the chicken and lentil mixture, then pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the chicken mixture is 165 degrees.