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Sausage & Peppers

Introduction

This is Mama Miche and today in My Magic Kitchen - Sausage and Peppers 

Food glorious food! I really love eating. Who doesn’t love good food? I learned my kitchen skills from many teachers. My Momster of blessed memory, of course; cookbooks and the internet have been quite informative, too. An ex-boyfriend, I lived with briefly in Nashville, was a chef and I learned beaucoup from him - especially about presentation. As a singer/songwriter living in Nashville, I worked in bars, restaurants, and catering companies to pay the rent. And I mean 5-star establishments to dive bars and everything in between. There was something to learn in every environment. 

Life is best lived like a sponge, soaking up knowledge. I’ve learned you occasionally have to wring that sponge out to get rid of the dirt and grime that come along with that quest. Every situation is a learning opportunity, especially the painful ones, am I right? I know I’m not the only one that looks back on their lives and says, “Oh! So that’s why I went through that mess to learn X, Y, or Z.” 

Between the lifestyle choices I made in my youth, various traumas, and good ol’ genetics, I’m dealing with a myriad of health challenges in middle age. So I’ve made changes in every room in my life, including the kitchen.  I have changed many recipes I grew up with in order to be able to still enjoy them without causing inflammation, pain, and gastrointestinal issues. I try to use whole foods and fresh herbs and spices that are healing.

This recipe is one that I didn’t have to change. My mom used to make this sausage and peppers with five ingredients: Italian sausages, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. All I’ve added is the Twice Stolen Spice™ and it is perfection. It doesn’t take long to make, it can be made in large batches and frozen and can be served with so many sides to soak up the sauce. 

Life is messy and saucy and it’s wise to stop and eat the food that nourishes your soul as well as your body. Make your kitchen Magic. Your life will be too. Like, follow, and subscribe. 

Mangia!


Tools

  • Cutting or food prep mat

  • Large Knife

  • Mixing bowl

  • 8-quart pot

  • Large spoon

Ingredients

Makes 8 servingss

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

  • 8-12 Italian Sausages in casings*

  • 3-5 Bell Peppers** sliced lengthwise 

  • 2 Large Onions

  • 4 cloves Fresh Garlic (optional)

  • 3 cups Tomato*** (crushed, diced, sauce, or any combo, again, your personal preference)

  • 4 tablespoons Twice Stolen Spice™

  • Freshly grated parm* to sprinkle on top 

Directions

Prep time 15 minutes. Cook time 30

Prep

  • Slice the bell peppers lengthwise and set aside

  • Cut onions in half, slice lengthwise, and set aside

  • Peel and slice garlic cloves and set aside

Cooking

Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to warm pot. Add sausages and sear until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside on a plate. Reserve the remaining contents of the pot

Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same pot used to sear sausages (keeping the pot on medium-high heat). Add onions, peppers, garlic and 2 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™ to the warm pot. Cook vegetables until soft and onions begin to turn translucent, stirring frequently. 

Add seared sausages to the pot. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add tomatoes and 2 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™. Stir to mix ingredients thoroughly.  

Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serving

Serve over any pasta: fettuccine, angel hair, tagliatelle. Enjoy with a good, hard French or Italian bread, garlic bread. You can also make a sausage and pepper sub with melted mozzarella/ provolone. It is also great as an appetizer, too!

Notes:

*You can use hot or mild, spending on your taste. You can also use both; generally, they look a little different in color.

**I like multi-color peppers, but not the green ones. I use sweet bell peppers or long peppers. You can spice it up with hot peppers if you like it hot.

** You can adjust this from 2 to 4 cups of tomatoes depending on how saucy you like it.