Growing up, my father served in the Air Force and my mom worked at the Chow Hall, the military cafeteria where the soldiers ate, so my sisters and I were in charge of making dinner on the week days. One of our most recurring meals was just cooked ground beef with rice. Obviously, we got bored eating the same thing over and over again so we would experiment with different spice combinations and sauces to see who can out do the other. This recipe is based on one of those random concoctions.
Instead of ground beef, I used ground turkey to make this dish leaner so that I could add a Healthy Fat. I also used sweet red bell peppers, but you can use any color you like. The red ones just happen to be my favorite because they are the sweetest of the bunch and I love that red pop of color! You can try using half of a red bell pepper and half of another color for a more colorful dish! Along with the ground turkey and bell peppers, this dish has a combination of minced garlic, chipotle chili pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, soy sauce, and a little bit of salt. Chipotle chili pepper is smoked, dried jalapeno grinded up into powder form so if spicy is not your thing, use chili powder instead. I happen to love that little bit of kick! All cooked together in one skillet, makes this dish a quick and easy meal! The best part about this ground turkey pepper skillet recipe? It is so versatile! Add 2 Greens of your choice and 1 Healthy Fat to complete you Lean and Green meal. Here are some options!
The first option is to make it into a salad! Who doesn't like a yummy crisp salad? Add 2 cups (85 g) of mixed greens (2 Greens) with a drizzle of your favorite approved dressing (1 Healthy Fat). I used light ranch dressing which goes well with the little kick of chipotle pepper. If you are a fan of Bolthouse Farms Dressing, I have a list of their dressings and how they are counted. Check it out!
The second option to enjoy them as zucchini boats! Zucchini boats are quickly becoming popular in the low carb community and for good reason! Zucchini boats make a great low carb, gluten free option that you can stuff with all kinds of things. To make them cut off the ends of 2 zucchini and then slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seedy center of the zucchini leaving a 1/4 inch rim to create boats. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. You should have 6.3 ounces or 180 g cooked zucchini (2 Greens). Scoop the turkey pepper mixture into the boats and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Top with 2 tbsp sour cream (1 Healthy Fat) or 2 tbsp guacamole (1 Healthy Fat) and fresh cilantro.
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The third option is to enjoy it over cauliflower rice! Top 1 cup (180 g) cooked cauliflower rice (2 Greens) with the ground turkey and peppers mixture. Add 1.5 ounces avocado (1 Healthy Fat) and garnish with cilantro.
Voila! Three ways to use your ground turkey pepper skillet! Also try it on top of a cauliflower pizza crust or make them into lettuce wraps! Make a double or triple batch and freeze the unused portions for later! I hope you enjoy this childhood concoction as much as me!
Ground Turkey Pepper Skillet
Ingredients:
1 red sweet bell pepper, chopped (2 Greens)
1 tsp minced garlic (1 Condiment)
1 lb ground 95 to 97% lean ground turkey * (2 Leaner)
3/4 tsp chipotle chili pepper powder or chili powder (1 1/2 Condiments)
1/2 tsp cumin (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika or paprika (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp soy sauce (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Heat a non stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Add peppers and cook until peppers are tender, about 5 min. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of water to the skillet to continue browning the peppers halfway through, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for about a minute more. Set the peppers aside.
Add the ground turkey, chipotle chili pepper powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and soy sauce to the skillet and cook over medium heat. Break the turkey up with a wooden spoon while cooking. Once the turkey is almost cooked, add peppers back to the skillet. Continue cooking until cooked through. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
Makes 2 servings
Each serving provides
1 Leaner, 1 Green, and 3 Condiments
Add 1 additional Healthy Fat plus 2 Greens.
* If using 99% lean ground turkey, use 18 ounces raw weight and add 2 additional Healthy Fats
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