Now that Thanksgiving is over the holidays are in full force! This is my favorite time of year, full of twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and Christmas music. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always feels like a whirlwind and here we are 8 days into December and only 15 days away from Christmas Eve! I am a huge present buying procrastinator, which means I’m loading up my Amazon cart and ready to brave the craziness of the mall and stores this weekend. Some part of me really thrives under pressure and despite my best effort every year I always end up saving my Christmas shopping until the last minute. I should probably do myself a favor and start Christmas shopping in May. At least I’ve been busy creating these tasty peppers for you…
With all of the celebrating, holiday parties and family gatherings it can be difficult to “stay on track” as they say during the holiday season. A lot of people end up causing themselves extra stress because they think they need to remain perfect and if they don’t they guilt trip and punish themselves for it. I’m not here to tell you that you should just fly off the rails and go nuts eating and drinking all the things because you’re going to “get back on track” January 1st. But I am here to tell you that it is OK if you indulge in seasonal treats, booze included. Just be conscious of how much or what you’re eating and how it will make you feel! No, you don’t need to eat 10 cupcakes, but one won’t kill you or make you fat (even two, if we’re being honest). Finding what works best for you is a journey and you’re not going to learn if you don’t make mistakes along the way. So if there’s a cupcake or cocktails calling your name, say yes! Evaluate how you feel the next day and adjust accordingly. Don’t wallow in self-pity if you DO indulge and feel like crap. Make a note for next time and move on. I can say this from experience, the self-pity and guilt will get you nowhere. The best thing you can do is learn from it and move forward.
The holidays are not a time to stress over being perfect; they are a time to relax, have fun and enjoy the company of your loved ones. I hope that you can find just the right balance of indulgence and healthy recipes to get you through feeling your best!
Now let’s talk about these beautiful stuffed peppers. I wanted to create a recipe with pumpkin that wasn’t sweet and I feel like stuffed peppers really need something starchy to hold it all together. They reheat great and make a beautiful presentation for a dinner party. I’ve eaten them for lunch every day this week and they still taste just like they did fresh! A note on the kale… I know you are probably thinking that 5 cups is a CRAZY amount of kale. Please bear with me, because it will shrink down to barely anything. I am admittedly kale-crazy, I try to add it to pretty much everything I make because it’s so easy and goes with everything. But I promise you this is not too much and you won’t be overwhelmed by it. I hope you enjoy!
Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 5 Bell peppers, any color, de-seeded and cut in half
- 2 teaspoons Olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Fine sea salt divided
- 2 tablespoons Coconut oil
- 1 medium Yellow onion, diced - about 1 cup
- 1 lb Ground Beef, grass fed if possible
- 5 cups Kale, chopped- about 3/4 of a bunch
- 1 14.5 oz can Fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 can Pureed Pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
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Pre-heat your oven to 350 degress. Then, de-seed and cut your bell peppers in half. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a couple pinches of salt- this helps the bell pepper cook better! Set aside for later.
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Chop your kale and onion and set aside. Prepare your spices and canned pumpkin and tomato as well so you are ready when you need it.
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Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and once hot, add the coconut oil allowing it to melt completely.
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Add your onions and sprinkle them with a bit of salt. Allow them to cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Push the onions to the outside of the pan and add your ground beef in the middle, breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks. After about 5 minutes and the beef is still a little red, mix the onions with the beef and cook until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
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Once the beef is cooked through add the kale and stir to combine, allowing to cook until the kale wilts to about half the original size. (I know you thought 5 cups was crazy, but it's not!)
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Once the kale is cooked through add the remaining ingredients: tomatoes, pumpkin and spices. After stirring it all together, TASTE it and add more salt if needed.
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One pepper at a time, scoop up the mixture and stuff it in there! Bake for 30 minutes and then stuff them in your mouth!