Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

I love when Charlie grabs my hand and pulls me off the deck to do handstands with her... we spend a lot of our yard time doing some fitness and I enjoy that she thinks it is fun and I hope it stays that way. There are days when I can't make it to the box or feel like I need a rest day but still want to do something active. These are some things I do with her and you could do with any toddler or baby to get a mini workout in at home while involving them: I put her on my shoulders and do walking lunges around the yard (she yells at me to go faster and do it again), I put her in her winter sled and run laps of the grass (talk about a thigh burner) and we practice our strict hand stand push-ups against the garage. This is her doing them with me... so freaking cute. 

Peppers are in season so I have a few bell pepper recipes coming up. A lot of Paleo stuffed pepper recipes I was perusing involved cauliflower rice-- I hate making that I really do. My food processor sucks and it makes a huge mess. I went with mushrooms to give another texture and Charlie LOVES olives so I had some around the house. Using spinach or other veggies would be tasty too! This recipe idea came from a Betty Crocker Crockpot recipe I decided to make paleo and revamp. Just a word on the tomato/pizza sauces.... Read the cans- I went with a no salt added one that didn't have anything I deem not good to eat in it- Mario Batali's. Chorizo is another one that can be tricky as far as preservatives and whatnot depending on where you shop- I found mine at Whole Foods. 

I had a little extra filling so I had it with my eggs and avocado for breakfast!

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

- 1 lb Ground Chorizo (or italian sausage if you don't like heat)

- 5ish White button mushrooms, diced

- 10-15 Black Olives, sliced

- 2 Cups Tomato Sauce (or Marinara or Pizza Sauce)  

- 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely diced

- 1 Garlic clove, minced

- 4 Bell Peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

1. In a skilled over medium heat, add about 1 Tbsp of Oil and saute the onions and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the chorizo and break it up as it is cooking. When it is almost cooked through, add the mushrooms and olives and cook another minute or two. 

3. Add the tomato sauce and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or so until the mixture is bubbling and starts to thicken. 

4. Stand the peppers up in a baking dish and fill them with the meat mixture. I put the tops back on for fun but you don't have to. Bake for 35-40 minutes.