Sausage and Peppers

It has been some time since I posted and a lot has happened, but life is back on the upswing now.  My mom got unexpectedly ill and passed away 31 days after she went to the hospital the first time, from cancer.  Days are and will continue to be hard, but I have faith God will pull us all through this.  It's just my dad and me now.  Of course, the rest of our family, friends, and my husband too, but you all know what I mean.  :)  Words cannot explain the loss of a parent that you were very close too, but I feel blessed that we were so close.  Thankfully I'm just as close to my dad and we are able to share stories and memories.  He's doing pretty good, but I know it has to be more painful to go home to the house they shared without her there.

So, on to happiness! I had some ingredients around the house and threw a delicious dinner together.  I didn't time myself or measure very closely, so feel free to adjust as you see fit.

Sausage & Peppers
1 lb. pork sausage
1 each red, green, & yellow pepper
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
black pepper
splash red wine
olive oil

Clean your peppers and slice into fairly large pieces and quarter your onion seperating the layers. Chop your garlic cloves into small pieces.  When cutting your peppers, slice the top off and pull out the stem.  Save the pepper around the stem b/c it's still good!!

Heat 1T olive oil in a pan and brown your sausage on all sides.  Remove the browned sausage from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine (a dry white would work too). Add the peppers, onions, and garlic to the pan and drizzle 2T olive oil over the veggie mixture, add more if needed.  Cook down until soft and starting to become translucent around the edges, which should be about 20 minutes or so, depending on how thick your pepper slices are.  While your peppers are cooking, slice your sausages on a diagonal or regular...the diagonal slice makes me feel like I'm eating at a restaurant.

After the pepper mix is cooked, add one can of fire roasted tomatoes and the sliced sausage.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the sausage finishes cooking.  This was a tasty and easy weeknight meal!  Enjoy!

Note:  You will probably notice that I did not add any salt.  I felt like the tomatoes and sausage contained enough salt that the cooking process didn't require anymore.

Here's a pic of the tomatoes:

My thought for the day is for my momma and anyone who has lost someone they love.

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“You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all she's left. Your heart can be empty because you can't see her, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

David Harkins quotes

Green Chile Pork Stew

I stumbled across this delectable recipe and knew I had to make it!!  Every bite was savory and comforting, which is perfect for these cold winter days.  This was one of those dishes that make you sad when the last bit is all gone. The picture is a little yellow - we need to find a way to improve the lighting when we aren't taking pictures during the day in natural light!

 Green Chile Pork Stew
Adapted from Fete and Feast
Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. fresh chorizo

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 lb. pork cutlets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. chopped green chilies or 4 oz. can
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. yellow corn meal
4 Tbsp. water

Garnishes (optional)


Shredded cheese like Monterrey Jack, manchego, or Queso Asadero

Sliced green onions
Sliced jalapenos
Sour cream

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until until hot.  Add the chopped fresh chorizo and saute until crispy.  Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and add the onions, carrots, and shallots to the oil in the pan.  Saute about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.


Add the pork and saute for five minutes or until pork is no longer pink on the outside.  Add the chilies, oregano, and cumin to the pot; stir to combine.  Add the chorizo back in and the chicken broth; stir well.  Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour, or until the pork is tender.

Mix the corn meal and water together in a small bowl. Add to the pot and stir to combine.  Raise the heat to medium and bring the stew back to a boil. Cook for five minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.


Serve with garnishes and warm tortillas.

I was waiting for an opporunity to use the individual crocks I found at Crate and Barrel, so I spooned some stew into them and covered them with cheese.  I broiled them for a few minutes until the cheese was melted!