SECRET STUFFED PEPPERS

MAKES 4 stuffed peppers (1 per serving)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus 24 hours to soak livers

COOK TIME: 45 minutes

What’s the secret? That there’s liver in here! But you can’t taste it, so eat on! That said, there is one trick: for the best flavor and texture, the livers should be soaked before cooking, so don’t skip Step 1.

You can prepare your own riced cauliflower by following Step 4 of the Crispy Pork with Lemon-Thyme Cauli Rice recipe on here. (To get 1 cup of riced cauliflower, you’ll need about 2½ cups/240 g of florets.) Or you can purchase pre-riced cauliflower, which you can find at Costco, Trader Joe’s, and many other grocery and health food stores.

4 ounces (115 g) chicken livers

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 pound (455 g) ground beef

¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil, or ¼ cup (55 g) coconut oil or ghee

1 small red onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt

4 medium bell peppers, any color

1 cup (125 g) riced cauliflower

1 cup (140 g) shredded cheddar cheese (dairy-free or regular), divided

1. Soak the livers: Place the livers in a medium-sized bowl and cover with water. Add the vinegar. Cover and place in the fridge to soak for 24 to 48 hours.
2. After at least 24 hours, rinse and drain the soaked livers, then chop them into very small pieces with either a knife or a sharp pair of scissors.
3. Place the livers in a large frying pan along with the ground beef, oil, onion, garlic, black pepper, oregano, and salt. Sauté over medium heat until no longer pink, about 15 minutes, stirring often to crumble the meat as it cooks.
4. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the bell peppers, then core them, being sure to remove all the seeds and white membranes.
5. Place the peppers right side up in an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
6. After the meat mixture has cooked for 15 minutes, toss in the riced cauliflower and ¾ cup (105 g) of the cheese and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the peppers, dividing it evenly. Then sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese, 1 tablespoon per pepper.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the peppers have softened and the cheese has melted. Enjoy!

PRESSURE COOK IT: Complete Steps 1 through 4, then place the peppers in a pressure cooker. Complete Step 6, then pour ¼ cup (60 ml) water into the cooker. Seal the lid and set to the steam mode for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally before removing the lid, then serve.

STORE IT: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

REHEAT IT: Place a single serving in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes; or place in a small frying pan, cover, and reheat over medium heat for 5 minutes.

THAW IT: Place in the fridge and allow to defrost completely, then follow the reheating instructions above.

Per serving, made with avocado oil and dairy-free cheese:

calories: 573 | calories from fat: 373 | total fat: 41 g | saturated fat: 13.9 g | cholesterol: 263 mg

sodium: 371 mg | carbs: 11.8 g | dietary fiber: 7.6 g | net carbs: 4.2 g | sugars: 1.6 g | protein: 39.4 g

FAT : 65%
CARBS : 8%
PROTEIN : 27%

make it AIP/NIGHTSHADE-FREE:

Stuff zucchinis instead of bell peppers. Cut 4 medium zucchinis in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with a spoon, and fill the zucchini boats. Reduce the baking time to 15 minutes. For AIP, also omit the black pepper and cheese and opt for coconut oil or avocado oil.

make it DAIRY-FREE:

Do not use ghee. Use dairy-free cheese.

make it LOW-FODMAP:

Omit the red onion. Replace the garlic with 1 cup (80 g) sliced green onions (green parts only) and add 1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil to the meat mixture. Replace the riced cauliflower with riced broccoli.