Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

It's been about three months since I had stuffed peppers and I decided it was time to have them again. However, I tried something different this time and REALLY liked it. I make a Mediterranean style pepper. I splurged and got a red bell pepper (I think those are my favorite!). Then I cooked some eggplant, mushrooms, and shrimp. This was combind with brown rice and feta for a delicious and healthy dish! Because of all the veggies, this is my entry for Sweetnicks ARF-Five-A-Day Tuesday! Check there tomorrow for other healthy dishes, just perfect for detoxing after Thanksgiving or just enjoying as a healthy meal or snack.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

3 bell peppers of your choice

1 globe eggplant

handful of mushrooms

1 small can of salad shrimp*

feta cheese

Nature's Seasoning

garlic powder

1 cup brown rice, or more if you like a lot of rice

fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tops off the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, put the peppers in, and par-boil for 10 minutes. Remove and put the peppers in a baking dish. Cube the eggplant. Put eggplant and mushrooms in a saute pan. Season with Nature's Seasoning and garlic powder. Cook until tender. Add shrimp and cook until heated through. Add hot rice and a handful of feta cheese (Sorry! I didn't measure, just used my eyes!). Stir until blended well. Scoop the filling into the peppers. If there is extra you can either freeze it for later use or let it overflow into the baking dish; some people, like my brother, only like the filling and will eat it for you! Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the peppers. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

I served this with salsa. You could also add canned tomatoes to the dish prior to putting the peppers in the dish. Enjoy!

*This can be made vegetarian easily by leaving out the shrimp.