Stuffed Peppers

Sausage, Potato and Onion Stuffed Peppers

I have to admit I am a little bit crazy when it comes to collecting recipes.  If I find something that looks or sounds like it would be good, I have to get the recipe or keep the recipe.  More often than not, I find that cooking is not difficult and I can't understand people who don't like to cook or have never learned to cook.  Personally, I think about half of any type of cooking, is preparing the ingredients which anyone can do.  The more difficult part is actually cooking the ingredients in a way that showcases the flavors of the dish.  This takes some practice and skills, but there are so many great dishes that anyone can prepare without much time or effort.  Home cooking is the only way to go in my opinion and if I had sufficient time every day, I would cook every day.

Sausage, Potato and Onion Stuffed Peppers

1 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and pepper

4 large bell peppers

1 small onion, chopped

1 small potato, diced

1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

In the bottom of a casserole dish, combine the tomatoes, oregano and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper.  (I used the tomato mixture to help the pepper remain upright.)  If the peppers do not stand up, slice a little off their bottoms to make it even.  If you chopped off any of the pepper, finely chop it and place it into a medium sized bowl.  Add the onion, potato, parsley and crushed red pepper.  Mix together, and then add the sausage and mix again.  Cut off the tops of the peppers.  At this point you can choose to chop them up and add them to the sausage mixture or leave them to cover the peppers during baking.  Discard the seeds from the peppers.  Spoon the sausage mixture into the peppers.  Arrange the peppers into the baking dish.  Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes or until the sausage stuffing is sizzling and cooked throughout the pepper.

Sausage, Chicken, Peppers and Potatoes

Farewell to March and heavy winter foods...It was 70F today and it makes me look forward to spring with all of my flowers and vegetables beginning to grow. The other day I saw the ground cracked and the daffodils and crocus' are starting to push their way up to see the sun. Not far behind will be the irises and the phlox; I love the color they are bring to my yard, not to mention the yummy fresh herbs which will start to appear.

This recipe is one from Elodia Rigante's Italian Immigrant Cooking. My boyfriend is half Italian and when we started dating I found this cookbook was just the sort of Italian food that he would eat. I wouldn't say he is a picky eater, but once I started cooking from this cookbook I couldn't stop. I had to finally put it down in order to eat less heavy foods in summer. It also made me aware of just how much olive oil and garlic one could actually consume in a meal was far greater than I had ever used before. I broke down and bought a gallon of olive oil. However, the food is hearty; the portions generous. I haven't even tried out any of the dessert yet.

Sausage, Chicken, Peppers and Potatoes
Serves 4

Rinse a large skillet. While pan is still wet, put over medium heat and add the sausage. Turn the heat down low and sauté until the sausage is browned. Remove the sausage and set aside the bowl.

Sauté the chicken pieces in the oils from the sausage in the skillet. Turn the heat down low and sauté, covered, until the chicken pieces are very tender. Transfer them to the bowl with the sautéed sausage.

In the same skillet, heat up the olive oil, and add the potatoes, peppers, and onions. Brown the vegetables over low heat. Stir in the oregano, and when the vegetables become tender, season them with salt and pepper.

Add the browned sausage and chicken and sauté until all the flavors are mixed together and the sausage and vegetables are tender. For additional spiciness, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes or other chili seasoning.
This reheats very well. Enjoy!