I am not a recipe developer, but I developed a recipe!
For as long as I could remember, my cooking skills have been nothing beyond mediocre. Before I moved in with my boyfriend, I have been “Alanna, party of one” with no real reason to challenge my kitchen skillz. The truth is, despite being a dietitian and lover of all things food, I don’t particularly like spending much time in the kitchen. My inner dialogue around cooking has always gone something like: “What can I cook that’s satisfying, simple, fast and leaves me with as few dishes to clean as possible?” Or, when I’m particularly lazy: “When in doubt – eggs.”
Don’t get me wrong, I still very much value no muss no fuss meals, especially now during quarantine, where frozen pizzas have become my gal pal. Despite my history of cooking nothing fancy, I always enjoyed my food – I take the “Aim for Satisfaction” principle of Intuitive Eating very seriously. But lemme tell ya, now that I am cooking for two and (happily) challenged to make compromises in the kitchen, I began experimenting in ways that I never thought I’d enjoy, nor be capable of. I started finding recipes online, which taught me a lot about the combining of flavors and ingredients. I also have been quite shook by the greatness a lemon can offer (thank you Tiegan Gerard from Half Baked Harvest).
So here’s my first self-developed recipe – a hearty, spicy, cheesy, plant based stuffed bell pepper. Farro is one of my favorite grains to use especially in vegetarian dishes. It offers up 6 gm of protein per serving, lots of fiber and mimics a “meaty” texture.
A special note from the nutrition therapist inside of me:
I want to encourage flexibility and experimentation when following any recipe, either mine or ones found elsewhere online. Rigidity around eating (and in life in general) is something I really encourage my clients to practice moving away from. I always felt “life is too short for exact measurements!” – which is why I’m probably not the best baker (lol).
If you want to sub eggplant for a different vegetable – go for it! If you want to add more garlic – go for it!
If you want to leave out the chili powder for less heat – go for it!
If you don’t tolerate onions – bye!
Your food is for you and your family – any and all things are possible.
Spicy Cheesy Farro & Eggplant Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
1 eggplant, dried and diced
1 8-oz package of Farro, cooked
6 tbsp (total) extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 8-oz package of baby Portabella mushrooms, chopped
1 14-oz can of plum tomatoes or jarred tomato sauce
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ shredded cheese (mozzarella, Asiago, Parmesan Reggiano)
Seasonings/Herbs:
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp Umami seasoning (Mushroom Company brand - Trader Joe’s)
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp Oregano
2 tsp Thyme
Salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
1. First, dry out the eggplant. Slice into big discs, lay out flat on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. I dried mine over night but you can do it a few hours a head of time. Once dried, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the eggplant into small pieces, place on a foiled baking sheet and toss with approx 2 tbsp of olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. When done cooking, reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Farro according to package instructions.
3. Place a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Coat the pan with olive oil (~ 2-3 tbsp) and add the garlic and onions. Heat until translucent. Add Umami, chili powder, crushed red pepper, oregano, salt/pepper.
4. Next, add the chopped mushrooms. Increase to medium heat. Season with thyme.
5. While the mushrooms are cooking, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, removing cap and inner seeds/white flesh. Place in a glass baking dish, inside face up so they can be stuffed.
6. Once mushrooms are cooked soft, add can of plum tomatoes or jarred tomato sauce.
7. Next, mix in cooked farro and cooked eggplant. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese
8. Time to taste! Does it need extra seasonings? More spice? What do you think?
9. Spoon the Farro/eggplant mixture into bell peppers. Top with shredded cheese of your choice.
10. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and place back in the oven. Cook for an additional 10 minutes
Eating Suggestions
Serving size is up to you! Maybe you want to eat 2 halves for dinner or maybe you want to eat one half with a side salad or piece of chicken for lunch. Maybe you want your lunch to include one bell pepper half with a side of crackers, pita or fruit to add more texture and flavor to your meal.
I leave out calorie information intentionally. Healthy eating does not have to be about calorie or macro counting. Pause throughout the meal, pay attention to hunger/fullness and let your body take care of the rest.
If you have extra Farro/eggplant mixture – no problem! It is just as delicious to eat alone, in a bowl as a leftover.
