Ingredients

Makes 8 servings, 2 stuffed pepper halves per serving

8 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers or a mixture of all (about 4 lbs)
2 tbsp canola or olive oil, divided
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
16 oz fresh Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing or lean ground turkey (You can use pre-cooked turkey or slices of deli turkey cut into small pieces and use it in place of the turkey sausage, if desired.)
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa, mild or hot
2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and chopped or 1 (10 oz) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture
1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese
2 large avocados, peeled and pit removed, sliced
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, slicing from the stem to the bottoms, leaving the stems intact. Remove the white pithy ribs near stem and down length of inside. Remove the ribs and seeds and discard. Place the peppers in a shallow 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover the dish with foil, and bake the peppers 15 to 20 minutes, until they start to soften.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and the spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice and quinoa (optional).

Carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers. Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Top the peppers with a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt. Place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately.

RECIPE INGEDIENTS
1 lb ground turkey breakfast sausage (comes in a tube)
1 tablespoons Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons diced tomato
3 tablespoons green onion, diced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
5 large eggs
6 ounces mexican cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

RECIPE DIRECTIONS
In a 12″ saute pan, brown your turkey breakfast sausage on med-high heat. Add red onion and continue browing until onions are soft and the meat is golden brown.
While the sausage is cooking, in a large bowl, crack the eggs. Whisk in the whipping cream, green onions, tomato, salt and pepper and keep it moving for about a minute. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Remove the pan your sausage has been browing in from the heat and let stand for a minute or two to cool off before adding the egg mixture.
After a few minutes pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and red onions. Cover with cheddar and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for three minutes before serving.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS
1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey

RECIPE DIRECTIONS
Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.

Heat the smoker to 250-280 degrees F.

Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or if an electric smoker on the heat bars. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and smoke for 10-12 hours.

After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, every hour, replace wood chips with second cup.

Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from the smoker, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 to 60 minutes. Carve and serve.