Chicken Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers + PWO Grocery Shopping

 awesome workout early this morniiiiing!  finally. after monday's sugar slump (my sister's baby shower was the day before lol) i feel SO much better.  i was determined to flip this week around cause it sure didn't start off too great physically and my motivation was shot. anyway, my cuz Diane told me she would come try my Lifetime classes and by golly she came!! not everybody is ready for HIIT at 5:30am but she totally was and kept her word!  we did some cardio together after this morning's weight class and i'm so glad she enjoyed herself and the club.

every time i wear this shirt sent to me by my cyber friend @babyfatboss somebody reads it then looks at me and asks, 'right now????' hahaha! no. not yet.

don't shop for groceries when you're hungry!!! i am good for that and  i'll never learn cause my Sprouts is in the same lot as my gym.

#itsawrap

recent purchases from Sprouts Farmers Market i cannot wait to use at breakfast tomorrow:

yep, you read that right. got my fingers crossed on this one!

making the switch to dairy-free creamer as of today.  this was the only size they had and i need a half-gallon carton or larger for sure.  i've been downing at least one cup of 1/2 caff in the mornings for a while now.

so we are now on week 5 of small group already, my goodness!  i have truly been blessed by meeting with these women to discuss the Word each week and will definitely be open to hosting a small group again in the future. we feasted on these lean ground Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps that you have GOT to try. and when ya do, tag me on Instagram and let me know so i can see!

 i know green bell peppers are the cheapest to buy but i LOVE the taste of, well, all the other colors. ha. especially red! and we know that red bell peps are a collagen boosting food great for helping us moms snap back after pregnancy and for keeping our skin looking great in general.

i used 'riced' cauliflower instead of brown rice so these are chock-full of veggies! do the following:

1. if raw, wash large cauli head thoroughly and break up into small florets (if frozen, let thaw first then break into florets)
2. add to food processor and pulse until a rice-like consistency is obtained
3. in a clean cup towel, add riced cauli and squeeze as tightly as you can to get ALL the moisture out
4. in a wok coated with no stick cooking spray over med-high heat, add cauli and sprinkle a little garlic and onion powder over it. that's optional though.  stir constantly for about 5-6 minutes or until slightly crispy/cooked.

Chicken Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps

the stuff:

• 1 lb extra lean ground chicken
• 1/2 cup red kidney beans
• 1 ear fresh sweet corn (or 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn)
• 1/2 large green bell pep, diced
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes w/ garlic
• 10 oz 'riced' cauliflower (see steps above)
• 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional to put on top only)
• 2 tsp sweet smokey paprika (reg paprika will be fine too)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro (just grab a small bunch and chop it up)
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms of your choice
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
• 5 red bell peppers (discard the seeds but don't you dare throw away those tops after you cut them off! dice them up and eat them later)

do this: 

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking pan large enough to hold all 5 peppers at once with no stick cooking spray
2. coat a large skillet with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
3. add garlic, onion, and green bell pepper and saute until translucent (2-3 min)
4. add lean ground chicken breast and continue to break it up with your spoon into smaller bits as it cooks
5. once cooked through, add kidney beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and stir until combined
6. add cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes and 2 tsp of the parsley flakes
7. add the cauli-rice and 1 cup of shredded cheese and blend once more and taste!
8. add salt & pepper to your liking and taste again
9. cut the bottoms flat across the peppers and situate them in your pan (see pic below)
10. stuff peppers with your chicken mixture and fill them to the brim
11. add about 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth to the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes covered with foil
12. remove pan from oven and top peps with remaining cheese; put back in for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
13. top with remaining tsp of parsley flakes to make it pretty ;)

yummerrrrrrs. enjoy!

Q: what seasonal item have you ever just HAD to try?

le