Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Scalloped Corn

This recipe was extremely colorful and pretty coming together, but was rather (as in extremely) bland. We promised to try the recipes as written, but ended up adding black pepper and other spices after a few bites. It was not particularly bad tasting, just too bland for our palates. I added salt, and Tony added some "no salt" spice blend to finish it out.
Next time, our suggestion is to add cayenne, or a no salt cajun spice blend, and pre-roast the pepper shells for added flavor. We also thought about adding ground turkey meat to the filling.
Picture to come later!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 red or green bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 egg whites
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Place in the prepared baking dish and set aside. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chopped green pepper and corn. Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and parsley. Reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk. Add to the corn mixture and stir. Increase heat and continue stirring until egg whites begin to set, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be moist, not dry. Spoon 1/4 of the corn mixture into each pepper. Add the water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the peppers loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until the peppers are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to individual plates and serve.

EDIT 07/01/11: Added photo.
EDIT 07/09/11: Added recipe.

Baked Macaroni and Beef

First meal is a lean meat and tomato sauce macaroni bake. It was rather good, though we think it could use a little bell pepper.
So far Tony's losing weight. He started a food calorie diary about a week ago and has already lost 5.5 lbs. See the tracker at the bottom of the blog to watch his progress (it rounds to the next full number). We're off to a good start; wish us luck!

Ingredients (serves 6)
1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
1 box (7 ounces) whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1 jar (15 ounces) reduced-sodium spaghetti sauce
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
In a nonstick frying pan, cook ground beef and onion until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Drain well.
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
Add the cooked pasta and spaghetti sauce to the meat and onions. Stir to mix evenly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until bubbly, about 25 to 35 minutes.
Divide the spaghetti among individual plates. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

EDIT 07/09/11: Added recipe.

Introduction

This blog is for my husband, Tony, who has been battling with his weight trying to lose for years now. We have decided to try out a diet recommended by the Mayo Clinic to try new, healthier recipes that key in on vegetables and fruits in that hopes that it will start a new leg in his weight loss efforts. I am along for the ride.
Together, we will be posting pictures and reviews of the recipes we try, any changes we may have made to the original recipe, and any other efforts we might give towards this new adventure.

Wish us luck!