Yesterday I made a recipe for the second time with food I always have in the kitchen. It's simple and easy and by tomorrow's good morning light I will take a quick picture of the finished product.
Spicy Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Stew
Ingredients
1/2 lb spicy italian sausage (without casings)
1 medium onion, diced
1 bag frozen bell peppers (or fresh if you have the patience, sliced)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 16oz can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
pinch of dried majoram
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a heavy bottom pot, brown the Italian sausage on medium heat. Once browned, drain the sausage on a plate covered with paper towels. Remove the majority of the fat from the pan and pat the sausage of the remainder of the fat.
2. On medium heat in the same pan, brown the diced onion, for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add in the can of tomato sauce. Here I generally fill the can with water to get the remaining tomato sauce out of the can and add it to the stew. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow for the stew to cook for 15-20 minutes.
5. Divide into 4-6 servings depending on your (or your partner/husband/roommates) appetite.
Bulking up a stew with lots of vegetables is the easiest way to get more bang for your buck. I often buy the bag of frozen bell peppers to add to soups and stews, as I love the flavor and find these are the least expensive this way. And lets be honest, everyone is on a budget these days. Soon I'll post how I plan my meals...for my future self to look back upon when I need inspiration to stay organized. Anyone have any good meal planning tips?
