Broccoli quiche in colorful peppers/IncredibleEgg.org
Stuffed apples, stuffed portabello mushrooms and stuffed tomatoes have been some of my recent food experiments. The attraction has been the good looks of foods served in edible containers.
Stuffing side dishes or entrees into vegetable or fruit cups not only adds nutritional value to a meal, it can cut calories. In the case of the quiche-in-peppers shown, the peppers eliminate the fat and caloric load that would come from a traditional pie crust.
With their bright colors -- also consider red and orange peppers -- the peppers filled with savory custard have appetizing eye-appeal.
Using a recipe from IncredibleEgg.org, they are made with 4 eggs and a half cup of milk into which frozen broccoli florets are mixed. The mixture is seasoned with garlic powder and Italian seasoning, divided and baked in four bell pepper cups. The picture shows bits that look like mushrooms and tomatoes, and they would be easy enough to add. I'd add a half cup of chopped tomatoes and a half cup of sauteed mushrooms to the recipe. I'd probably top them with a bit of grated cheese, too. Click on the photo for the original recipe.
Anyone who has eliminated gluten from their diet, might also put sandwich fillings into vegetables (think lettuce wraps or cored tomatoes filled with tuna salad). For variety, consider hot and cold options.
Here's another idea that would work for lunch or as an appetizerrs. The recipe features low-fat Beemster cheese rolled into freshly roasted peppers. To save time, rinsed and drained pimientos from a jar also could be used. Click the photo for the recipe, and find more recipes for Beemster cheeses at Beemster.us.
Monday, February 4, 2013 at 10:30PM 
Fresh strawberries and maple syrup simmering in the pan.Valentine's Day doesn't always have to be a big production to be memorable.
