Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

 

 

  

 

One of my favorite things about summer is that I get to enjoy all of my favorite Jersey produce. I swear I go to the produce market at least once a week and buy TONS of fruits and veggies for canning and roasting and making jams, you name it. 
 So, recently, I had a bunch of bell peppers and figured I’d do something with them, but what? I thought, well, pepper steak is the obvious choice, right Then I realized…wait.. after all these years, do I not have a go-to pepper steak recipe??? What is going on??? Clearly I needed to remedy this!
 I was originally thinking of using my wok, but then I figured it would be a lot easier to just throw it into the slow cooker and let it cook all afternoon. Perfect! This is a  version of a recipe from All Recipes and it’s absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of pepper steak, then this one is for you! Also, if you still don’t have a slow cooker, what are you waiting for? No time like the present!




2 lbs beef sirloin, London broil top round, or flank steak, cut into 2 inch strips
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced 
2 large green bell peppers, sliced
2 large red bell peppers, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp white or brown sugar
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
2 cups beef stock, divided
2 tbs corn starch

 

 

 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sear the beef strips in oil until brown on both sides. Do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan. While the beef is searing, place all other ingredients in a slow cooker, except the beef stock and corn starch. After removing the last of the beef from the skillet, pour 1 cup of stock into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Add that liquid to the slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. After the cooking is done, make a slurry with the corn starch and remaining cup of beef stock. Add to slow cooker. Let it continue to cook and thicken. Serve over rice, riced cauliflower, or mashed potatoes. 



Tips:
This makes a very saucy pepper steak. If you’d prefer less sauce, just cut the stock down to 1 cup total.
If you’ve never tried riced cauliflower, you should! It’s as easy as buying any other frozen vegetable, and it absolutely works instead of rice, especially for those of us who happen to be counting carbs. Just sauté in a skillet with a little butter. Delish!

Joey's Unstuffed Pepper Casserole

 

 Usually at the start of the new year, I like to do recipes that are warm and hearty and comforting. Nothing does that like a casserole, am I right? But right after the holidays, I’m not so inclined to have a casserole that is so heavy you need to take a nap after you eat it.
 So that brings me to this one. It’s just like the classic stuffed peppers, but it’s all mixed up together in a casserole. It has the standard combo of beef and rice, and it cooks in a nice hearty tomato sauce that won’t weigh you down. Feel free to add more vegetables to it if you like! That’s the beauty of casseroles. You can  add anything that suits your fancy! Serve it up with a fresh crisp salad and you’re good to go! Enjoy!

 

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, (or more) minced
2 medium (or 1 large) bell peppers, chopped
1-2 cups cooked rice
1 29oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs sugar
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh basil to taste
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese


Saute onions and peppers in a little oil in a large skillet. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat. In a large mixing bowl, combine beef mixture and remaining ingredients, adding only half of the cheese. Pour into a casserole dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover, top with remaining half of cheese. Bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.


Tips:
This is a great way to use up leftover rice whenever you order take out. Just sayin!
If you’re not a meat person, go ahead and swap out the beef for something else. You could do hearty chopped cremini mushrooms, or any other vegetable, or choose your own protein!
Btw, the sugar is there just to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. Plus I do like a slightly sweet tomato sauce on my stuffed peppers. Same idea!
Don't have mozzarella? Use Cheddar instead!

Joey's Pepper Jack Chicken Mac

  When the weather is warm, I usually tend to set the baked casseroles aside, because most times I'd rather not turn on a hot oven. But this one was so good, I think it's worth cranking up the AC!
 I originally got the idea when I was watching a cooking show, and they did a jalapeno mac and cheese. But then I thought, what if I turn that from a side dish into a one dish meal? I could add shredded chicken and a few other things, and it would be perfect! So that's exactly what I did. And it turned out great! The onions and garlic add a deeper savory-ness to the dish, and the different cheeses add to the depth of flavor. Yes, yes, all you cheese purists, I used Velveeta processed cheese. Judge me all you want, but I'm owning it. It makes the dish so much more gooey and creamy, so I stand by it! And as far as the heat goes, I used just a couple jalapeño peppers, but you can add as many as you like! SO good!
 This dish is pretty hearty, so you don't need anything else but maybe a light side salad to go with it, and then maybe cool off with some fresh fruit for dessert. Sounds like a perfect dinner to me! No matter how you serve it, if you're a fan of mac and cheese, then I know you're gonna love it!




1/2 lb large elbow macaroni
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
4 cups milk
1 tbs mustard, any kind
1/2 lb pepper jack cheese
1/2 lb Velveeta processed cheese
1/2 lb cheddar cheese
1-2 Jalapeño peppers, sliced, can be fresh or pickled
2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded


 In a large pot of salted water, boil the elbows until al dente. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
In the meantime, melt butter in a large saute pan. Add onions and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft and fragrant. Add flour to pan, stir to combine. Add milk and mustard. Use a wire whisk to break up the lumps of flour. Add cheeses to the sauce, reserving half of the cheddar. Continue to stir until melted and bubbly. Add a couple tbs of chopped jalapeños. Add cheese sauce and chicken to the bowl of drained elbows. Toss all until well combined. Place in a large casserole dish. Top with slices of jalapeño and reserved cheddar. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and let it stand for a good ten minutes before serving.



Tips:
For the chicken, I just used a store bought rotisserie, but you can use whatever leftover chicken you have. Or you could roast a couple chicken breasts in the oven. Just bake them on a sheet tray with a little salt and pepper, then cut into chunks, or shred. Easy!
For the pasta, use any favorite large cut pasta. It's all good!
Wanna really bump up the heat? Use Serrano or even hotter Habanero peppers!

Candied Jalapeños aka Cowboy Candy

  Even though I'm not really a spicy food kinda guy, lately I've been kind of in the mood to push my own flavor boundaries and turn up the heat just a bit. In my neverending search for new and fun things to preserve in jars, I discovered these little gems of sweet-hotness that are absolutely amazing and delicious on EVERYTHING. I mean, yes, you can serve them on crackers with a schmear of cream cheese, but seriously, they're great on sandwiches, salads, you name it. They're sweet and syrupy, the spice is definitely there, and the pepper flavor is just as present. And the addition of the cayenne pepper gives it a slow burn that I just love in a sweet heat. I found the recipe on a blog called Foodie with Family, and I followed it EXACTLY to the letter. I know. I know. It's crazy that I didn't tweak it somewhere along the lines which is my usual MO, but for me, hot peppers are kind of uncharted territory, so I stuck with the plan and didn't stray from the path. I'm pretty thrilled with how they turned out! And I happened to find a few RED ones, so I added a slice or two to each jar for a little pop of color. I'm thinking this the current front runner for holiday gift giving this year.
They're just that good! Boom.




3 pounds fresh firm, jalapeno peppers, washed 
2 cups cider vinegar 
6 cups white granulated sugar 
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 
1/2 teaspoon celery seed 
3 teaspoons granulated garlic 
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper




 Wearing gloves, remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers, and discard. Slice the peppers into uniform 1/8-1/4 inch rounds. Set aside. In a large pot, bring remaining ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, loading into clean, sterile, hot canning jars to within 1/4 inch of the upper rim of the jar. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes, (which means a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred away). Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices. Insert a chopstick to the bottom of the jar two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
Place jars in a canner, cover with water by 2-inches. Bring the water to a boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 minutes for pints. When timer goes off, use canning tongs to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave them to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth.  For best flavor, allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating.


Tips:
-This recipe makes quite a bit of syrup compared to the amount of jalapenos. The original recipe suggested canning the extra syrup in jars because it's so yummy brushed on meats or anything you grill, but even after doing that, there was still quite a bit. So I just used it to make a batch of candied Habaneros! If you plan to double the recipe, (and you definitely should!) don't double the syrup ingredients. You'll have plenty!
-Instead of using a food processor or mandoline, I chose to slice the peppers by hand. Yes, that's a little tedious, but I wanted to make sure they were all perfect little rings that were the perfect thickness. The food processor and mandoline weren't helping me to that end. You don't want the slices to be too thin, otherwise they'll just turn to mush. Oh, and definitely wear gloves and take care not to touch your eyes or any other part of your body. Oof.
-If you're not interested in preserving them in sealed jars, just follow the recipe up until you fill up your jars, then just keep them in the fridge. They'll keep up to 3 months.

Holiday Roll Ups

 Here's a simple and festive party appetizer for you. They're called Holiday Roll Ups and I saw them on Ree Drummond's show, Pioneer Woman. They're so easy, you don't even need to cook! You just mix up the filling ingredients, schmear 'em on some flour tortillas, and roll 'em up! Simple, right? The red and green bell peppers make them so festive and they're absolutely delicious. They're also a great time saver because you roll them ahead of time and then let them chill in the fridge to set up for a while. Before your guests arrive, slice them into rounds, and serve. Perfect party food!
 Oh, and here's a little party hint: Instead of placing all of your hors d'oevres on one big table, place them on smaller snack tables in several locations. Your guests will spread out and mingle a little more, instead of all hovering over the kitchen table. Clever, huh? Plan ahead, do things in advance, and your party will be a hit!
 In my opinion, the best holiday parties are simple and casual. Surround yourself with family and friends. Decorate with a few personal touches. Have some holiday music playing in the background. And, of course, serve some delicious picky-uppy foods that are easy to taste with just one hand (since you'll be holding a drink in the other). These roll ups fit right into that category. SO Good!!  Definitely give 'em a try!

2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 package ranch dressing mix
Freshly ground black pepper
5 flour tortillas
1/2 cup finely diced green bell peppers
1/2 cup finely diced red bell peppers
2 green onions, sliced

Mix the cream cheese, ranch dressing mix and the black pepper together thoroughly. Spread the mixture on the tortillas, and then sprinkle over the diced bell peppers and green onions. Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until party time (for at least 1 hour). Slice into small wheels and serve.

Tips:

To cut carbs, I used low carb tortillas, but feel free to use any you like. Regular flour tortillas, or even red or green ones, for an added festive touch. All good!

To make it even easier, I added all the filling ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer, (including the chopped peppers and green onions), mixed everything together and then proceeded as directed. Easy!

For larger roll ups, use burrito size tortillas. For smaller bite sized roll ups, use taco size tortillas. Great then!

Joey's Favorite Crustless Ham and Cheese Quiche

  Every year, for Easter, my family has a fabulous brunch. Our menu usually includes several breakfast casseroles, quiches, fresh fruit salad, french toast casserole, bagels and muffins with cream cheese and jam, assorted danish, hash brown potato patties, and even a sliced ham and various other breakfast meats. Oh, and of course we have many different kinds of fruit juice, and champagne for mimosas. It's always quite a spread!! Sounds awesome, doesn't it? As always, we each contribute something to the event. Usually, I make a couple quiches, and a couple Tomato Pies. Sometimes I make Onion Pies too (which I absolutely love).
 So, recently, I was thinking about our Easter brunch, which put me in the mood for a quiche. I looked in the fridge, just to see what ingredients I had on hand. I scrambled some eggs, threw a few things into a pan, stirred it all together, popped it in the oven, and boom, there was my quiche! Now, I rarely ever follow a recipe when I'm making a quiche, but here's the thing... It was SO tasty, I thought, ok wait, let me remember what I did.. this one was a keeper! So I quickly wrote down what I did while it was still fresh in my mind. Since then, I've made this exact quiche so many times I don't even need to follow the recipe. It's now one of my go-to dishes and it's one of my all time faves. I love the fresh basil, I love that it has 2 kinds of cheese, and more than anything else, I love the garlic. It really makes the entire dish!
 So don't worry about a pie crust this time. If you can scramble some eggs, you can make this quiche. It's really amazing, and it's just the thing for your next brunch. Even if it's not a special occasion, it's still pretty fabulous for an easy dinner or a light lunch. I hope you'll give it a try!

2 tbs butter
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 or 6 slices deli ham, diced
4-5 large cloves garlic, (about 2 tbs minced)
10 large eggs
1/4 cup milk, half and half, or cream
5 or 6 slices Swiss cheese, diced (plus more)
5 or 6 slices white American cheese, diced
8-10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 350ºF.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onions, peppers, and ham. Saute until the onions and peppers are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook for a few minutes more, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk together until very well combined. Stir the cheese and basil along with the ham and veggies into the beaten egg mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
 Spray and glass Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. Pour the egg mixture into the plate. Place on a baking tray, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place a little more Swiss cheese on top. Bake for few more minutes until the cheese is melted and the center is set. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Tips:
So, you may ask "why is there no crust to this quiche?" Well, it makes it the ideal dinner when one is restricting carbs from one's diet, of course. But if you'd like to make it with a crust, go for it!
Yes, I know it's quite a bit of garlic, but seriously, that's the beauty of it. It's AMAZING!

Joey's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions Casserole

 One of my most favorite food combinations is Sausage, Peppers, and Onions. No matter how its cooked, whether just sauteed together and served on crusty Italian rolls, or cooked in a Marsala sauce and served over pasta, I love it all. It's a classic combination! So when I recently found myself with a bunch of leftover Italian sausage, I thought 'Hmm...how can I put a different twist on the old stand by...how about a casserole?' Awesome. And off to the store I went.
  At first I had planned to add a bunch of different things, veggies and such, but then decided that I really wanted it to be just the sausage, peppers, and onions. I didn't even add a lot of cheese, (which is very much the opposite of how I usually roll), just because I didn't want to overpower the main flavors. Still, I added some basic casseroley type ingredients, tossed it all together and baked it. It turned out great!!
 This one is definitely a keeper. It's hearty and comforting without being too heavy, and would perfect to serve with a light salad, and a nice glass of wine. Boom.

1 lb wide egg noodles
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 lb mild Italian sausage links, sauteed until cooked through
4 oz velveeta cheese, diced
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can milk
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tbs butter, melted
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350ºF.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the egg noodles until just underdone. Drain, set aside.
While the noodles are boiling, saute the peppers and onions with a little oil in a large skillet or wok until soft. Slice the cooked sausages in half longways, then slice them crossways into half moons. Add the diced sausages to the peppers and onions and give it a good stir. In a large bowl, stir together the soups, milk, velveeta and basil. Add the sausage, peppers and onions, and the noodles. Toss everything until well coated with the sauce. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray, then pour the mixture into the dish, spreading evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, bread crumbs, and grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

Tips:
This recipe is WIDE open to any number of variations. You can literally swap out ANY of the ingredients and it'll still work. Any kind of peppers, or sausage, or cream soups, or cheese. Yes, you'll get a slightly different product each time you tweak it, but that's the beauty of it, and it will ALL work! Also, if you want to add more of any ingredient, GO for it! More is more!

Joey's Roasted Corn and Avocado Salad

 One of the BEST things about living in The Garden State is the fact that we have wonderfully fresh produce, right here in our own back yards. It's only just a hop, skip, and a jump to the nearest farm market, and the produce is some of the BEST you'll ever taste! But even more than being delicious and convenient, it's really a nice feeling to know you're helping family owned local farmers to make a living. Cool, huh? Everyone wins!
 One of my all time favorite things at the farm market is our wonderfully sweet, fresh from the fields, Jersey corn. Seriously, it's just quite simply the sweetest and most delicious corn you'll ever have. So I decided to really take advantage of it and make a fabulously fresh roasted corn salad. It was SO delicious, I couldn't stop eating it! And the avocados and other veggies make it bright and summery and light and healthy and fresh and flavorful and perfect. I think I need to make another batch.
Time to go back to the farm market!


5 ears corn on the cob, still in husks
2 avocados, diced
2 roasted peppers, diced
1 scallion, minced
2 tbs lemon or lime juice
1 tbs sugar
10 or 12 basil leaves, chopped
drizzle of vegetable oil or a mild olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Heat oven to 350ºF.
First, give your corn a haircut! Just snip the end off to remove the extra silks and remove any loose husks. Leaving the rest of the husks on, submerge the ears in a big bowl of water and then let them drain. Place the ears of corn right on the middle rack of your oven. No pan, no anything. Let them roast for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers. Remove the husks. Slice the corn off the cobs. Place corn in a large bowl with all the other ingredients. Give it a good stir. And that's all there is to it! Can be served immediately or cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.


Tips:
If your corn is really sweet, you can omit the sugar. The point is to balance the sweet with the onion and the citrus.
Be sure to add some kind of acid, such as the lemon or lime juice. You can also use a little vinegar (any kind) or even just a splash of orange or grapefruit juice. Besides brightening up the flavor, the acid keeps the avocado from turning brown.
I like to use a very mild flavored oil. Sometimes olive oil can be a little strong or peppery, so in this case I prefer to keep things neutral with just a drizzle of regular vegetable oil.
If you don't have scallions, just add a very little bit of onion. Or maybe just add a little bit of snipped chives. You only want a very mild hint of onion flavor. You don't want it to upstage the sweetness of the corn. Again, the flavors should be balanced.
One of the key ingredients is the fresh basil. This is one recipe where I wouldn't use dried basil. It's really all about the freshness!
You can purchase roasted peppers in a jar, or you can roast your own. If you'd like to learn how to do it yourself, just watch my video How to Roast Peppers.

Reen's Rabe and Roasted Red

Here's another amazing dish from my sister, Reen. She loves throwing together all kinds of delicious appetizers by using fresh ingredients and they're ALWAYS incredible and ALWAYS easy to make! That's exactly how I would describe this one. It's SO delicious! Your family and friends will RAVE about it. They'll think you went to a lot of trouble making it, but they don't have to know how crazy simple it is to make. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me! You should try it!
Thanx Been!


Broccoli Rabe
lots of fresh garlic
olive oil
roasted peppers
shaved Parmesan cheese
sliced hearty crusty bread


Rinse and chop the broccoli rabe, removing any
woody ends. Blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain.
Then saute in a frying pan with garlic and olive oil until tender. I serve it
with roasted peppers, sharp cheese and crostini as an appetizer, or I
mix it with sausage, short pasta and Parmesan cheese as a meal.
Enjoy!

Tips:
The ingredient amounts are to your own taste. Do you like a lot?Add a lot!
You can buy roasted peppers in a jar, or you can roast them yourself. If you're not sure how to roast them, have a quick look at my video How to Roast Peppers.
If you're serving it with sausage and pasta, you can slice links of Italian sausage into little wheels and then saute it, or remove the casing completely and then fry it up in the pan before tossing it with any kind of cooked short pasta.
To make crostini, simply arrange the slices of crusty bread in one layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and then bake at 350F until lightly crispy. Be careful not to burn them!
Btw, if you leave out the bread and pasta, this is a great dish if you're low carbing. And even if you're not!

Pimento Cheese

Ok this one's a quick and easy one. I made it for Denny's birthday party and everyone loved it! It would also be great for a Super Bowl party, or just as an easy snack. It's my version of Paula Deen's recipe, and I hope you like it!

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 8 oz block sharp cheddar, shredded
1 8 oz block Monterey Jack, shredded
1 cup chopped pimentos or roasted red bell peppers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
garlic powder
salt and pepper


Mix everything together with a mixer.
Serve it on crackers, as a dip with veggies or pretzel rods, or as a sandwich spread.


Tips:
Be sure to use a mixer for this one. Just like the Tuna Dip, it just won't come out right if you mix it by hand.
Vary this recipe however you'd like!
Use Pepper Jack cheese instead of regular Jack. Add some grated onion or onion powder. Add some hot sauce to give it a little kick!
Paula's recipe only had a couple tbs of chopped pimento, but I really wanted much more of the pepper flavor, so I added a full cup. Add as much as you like!

Joey's Hearty Bowties with Tomatoes and Peppers

 Ok, so, when I started this dish, I had originally intended to go in a different direction. I was planning on doctoring up some leftovers (as I often do), but then this just sort of happened. Actually, for a while, it kind of seemed like I was making a pot of soup, but then everything came together and I LOVE the way it all turned out. It's a nice change from the usual marinara sauce and it feeds a crowd. Serve it up with some nice crusty bread and/or a fresh crisp iceberg wedge salad and you're good to go!

a few glugs of olive oil
1 large onion
2 large green bell peppers
2 or 3 large cloves of garlic
big pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
a few shakes EACH dried basil and dried thyme leaves
1 28 oz can sliced stewed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb bow tie pasta
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Parmesan Cheese

Place oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Roughly chop the onions, peppers, and garlic. Saute in oil until they begin to soften. Add sugar, salt and pepper, basil and thyme. Saute for a few minutes more. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and the dry uncooked pasta right out of the box into the pot. Bring to a boil, give it a good stir, then reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and give it a good stir. Serve in large pasta bowls topped with Parmesan cheese.

Tips:
The key to this dish is the dried basil and thyme. They really give a nice depth of flavor. Don't forget them! The other key is the addition of bread crumbs. It might seem a little weird to add them, but they give the sauce a little body (so it's more than just a broth) without making it too heavy.
If you'd like a little heat, go ahead and add a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes along with the dried herbs. Add as much as you like!

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

 For the longest time, whenever I made sausage, peppers, and onions, I kept it simple. So simple, in fact, that I didn't add anything else. Just sauteed onions and peppers over sweet Italian sausage. Maybe some salt and pepper, but nothing else. There was always enough spice in the sausage to flavor the whole dish. Fine.
Then I tried this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.
Let me just say that I need to buy a vowel because O......MY..... GOD. This is seriously some of the best sausage peppers and onions I have ever tasted. I'm not even kidding. I don't think I'll ever go back to my old method. This one CLEARLY wins. Hands down. It's spicy but not hot, it's rich but not heavy, the sauce is to die for, and it's super easy to make. You ABSOLUTELY need to try this one. I think I need to make another batch....

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional


 Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Tips:
Whenever I cook sausages in a pan, I always like to go low and slow. Make sure your heat isn't too high and just let them do their thing in the pan. Then every so often, give them a turn. They'll cook much more evenly. The same is true for the peppers and onions. If the heat is too high, you'll brown everything too quickly instead of really bringing out the sugars and letting them caramelize. I also like to let it simmer over a really low heat for a while longer than the recipe directs. I just think it tastes better!
 I used regular sweet Italian sausage instead of turkey sausage, and I used regular green bell peppers instead of the red. I'm sure that any sausage (hot or sweet) and any color of bell peppers would work perfectly fine.
 If you don't have Marsala wine, you can substitute whatever kind of wine you like. You could even just add chicken broth instead. It won't be exactly the same, but it'll still be delicious!
 Instead of serving this on sandwich rolls, try serving it over any cut pasta, such as rotini. It's heaven on a plate!!

Smothered Pork Chops

 Ok, this is seriously one of the easiest and yummiest recipes I've tried in a long time. I've literally made it TWICE in the last week! Actually, I think I might need to make it again. The recipe comes from Paula Deen. Well, actually, it comes from a guest she had on her show. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to try it, and OMG they're just fabulous.
 Do you know how when you cook a pork chop, sometimes it can be a little bit dry? Or maybe the meat is a little bit tough? Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. This is the recipe for you. The meat just falls off the bone and it's so moist and juicy....MMMMMM it's so good you might just have to slap someone. You should make this for dinner, like TONIGHT! Seriously.

 4 center cut pork chops, 1" thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup ll purpose flour, spread on a plate
2 medium green bell peppers, cut int strips
2 yellow onions, cut lengthwise
3 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Trim the excess fat from the chops and season well with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly roll the chops in flour, shake off the excess, and slip them into the pan. Brown well, about 3 minutes per side, and remove them to a plate.
Add the bell peppers and onions, to the skillet, and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Push the vegetables to the side of the skillet. Add chops to pan and place vegetables on top of pork chops. Pour in the broth and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Cover pan with foil and allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until chops are tender.

Tips:
Since there's only one of me, I just made TWO pork chops at a time instead of four. I only used half as many onions and peppers, but I still made the same amount of gravy.
To thicken the gravy, I just stir a a tablespoon of flour into a little cold water or chicken stock, then add it to the pan.
I served it with white rice, but I think this dish screams for mashed potatoes. Serve it with some applesauce and a green vegetable and you're all set!
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can probably use any heavy skillet or even a dutch oven.

How to Roast Peppers

If you've never roasted your own peppers, you seriously don't know what you're missing. They have a wonderful smokey flavor that you just don't get when you buy them at the grocery store. Not only that, store bought roasted peppers cost you an arm and a leg for a measly little jar. You definitely get more bang for your buck if you roast them at home. So, better flavor, more economical.....seems like a no brainer to me! Not only that it's quick and easy to do. Basically, you just char the outsides of the peppers, put them in an airtight container to steam for about 20-30 minutes and then the skins come right off. Serve them on some Italian bread with lots of garlic and olive oil, and that's all there is to it! They're so much better than the ones you buy in a jar. Try it! You'll be SO glad that you did because it's better when you make it!

BIG thanx, once again, to Trish and also Alana for making this video possible.
And thanx to Denny for supplying the peppers!

"Hell Yeah!" Tortellini

My sister, Reen, told me about a recipe that she found in a magazine. Being the Queen of Substitutions, she didn't make it exactly as written. She substituted frozen spinach for bell peppers, and added onions (which weren't originally part of the recipe). When I made it for my weekly Project Runway get together, I didn't exactly stick to the recipe either. I chose to go with the peppers instead of the spinach and to keep the onion. Oh, and I added a couple other things too. So basically, it's a whole new dish! I asked everyone if they liked it, and they gave me a resounding "Hell Yeah!" So here it is, Ladies and Gentleman.
Hell Yeah Tortellini!

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large onion, cut into strips
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
a few shakes crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups chicken broth
a few glugs of white wine
1 tbs granulated chicken bouillon
a few shakes of Italian seasoning
1 pound cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add the broth, wine, bouillon, Italian seasoning, and tortellini. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the parsley and some Parmesan cheese. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with a little more Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Tip:
Whenever I cook eggplant, I always like to salt it first, to get rid of the bitter juices. Just place slices of eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let stand a minimum of 30 minutes so that the bitter liquid drains out. Give it super quick rinse under running water (to get rid of the excess salt) and pat dry with paper towels. Then go ahead and chop it up into chunks. It really makes all the difference in the world!

Stuffed Peppers

Have you ever made stuffed peppers? I know, I know, it might seem a little daunting, but it's pretty straight forward. Just follow the recipe as written, and you'll be fine! There's a reason stuffed peppers are such a classic. They're delicious! For this recipe, I used green bell peppers but you can use any color you like. That would make a gorgeous presentation! So give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe you'll surprise yourself! I promise you can do this!  

6 lg bell peppers
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
16 oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 c uncooked rice
3/4 c water
salt and pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
a good handful of fresh parsley, chopped
10 or 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Favorite Marinara Sauce or your favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cut tops from green peppers; discard seeds and membranes. Chop enough of the tops to make 1/4 cup, set aside. Cook the whole green peppers, uncovered, in boiling water for 5 minutes, invert to drain well. In a skillet, cook ground beef, onion and the 1/4 cup chopped green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off excess fat. Add undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, water, salt, pepper , Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and basil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Cover tops with marinara sauce and bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.

Tip:

Want to add some shredded mozzarella cheese over the top? Go for it!  

To save time, brown and drain the beef and vegetables as directed, stir in a cup of cooked rice along with herbs and spices, and omit the 3/4 cup water. Then stuff the peppers and bake them as usual. This would be the perfect way to use up some leftover rice after you've ordered Chinese food. You can also substitute a 1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup for the crushed tomatoes.