Elementary Cooking: Amazing Stuffed Bell Peppers

We're back with another fabulous recipe! Thinking about these stuffed bell peppers makes my mouth water, they are that good. The recipe is from Dr. Oz's website, but I found it from a former co-worker's facebook page.

Ingredients: (This makes 4 servings (2 halves per person))

8 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers

2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. cumin

16 oz. italian sausage

1 16 oz. jar salsa

2 c. spinach, chopped

1 c. cooked brown rice

1 c. cheddar cheese

2 large avocados, peeled and sliced

1/2 c. low-fat greek yogurt

1/4 c. chopped basil

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise (removing stems). Remove the white stuff and seeds from the insides. Place peppers in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover the dish with foil and bake the peppers 15-20 min or until they start to soften.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and the spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice.

Carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers. Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Top the peppers with a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt. Place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately.