Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Prepare the peppers: Slice off the top of the peppers and remove the ribs and seeds. Either microwave them on a plate or baking dish covered with plastic wrap for 4 minutes, or blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes.

2. Cook the beef mixture:  Heat a large skillet and cook the beef, onions, garlic and spices. If you are using tomato paste, add this as well. If you are using tomato sauce, pour about 2/3 of the jar or can in, and save the rest for a topping. Cook until the beef is cooked through and the onions are soft. If it gets too dry you may add a little water.

3. Loosely fill the peppers with the beef mixture, and sit upright in a baking dish. If you are using tomato sauce, spoon some of the leftover sauce on top of each pepper. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven. If using a microwave, you can cook it for 12 minutes. If your microwave doesn’t have a rotational plate, make sure you turn the dish half way through (6 minutes).

Serving size – 1 pepper; Nutritional: 1 meat, 1 vegetable serving.