Sausage and Peppers

I didn’t feel like cooking, but you would never know by the way my dinner tasted.

This week was just crazy. When I thought the drama was over, there was more drama. I was emotionally drained. And when I’m emotionally drained, I want to eat a good and comforting meal that doesn’t take long. I used 3 main ingredients, one pot, and one pan. It was great.

Sausages aren’t that expensive to buy and are usually wrapped ready to go. The good thing about it is that you can buy different kinds of sausage based on your taste: beef, turkey, lamb, or even chicken. And all you have to do is separate them and put them in the pan. The best tip I can give is to buy hot or spicy sausage, that way you really don’t have to do anything to flavor them. The natural fats within the sausage do the work for you. Cooking them couldn’t be simpler, either. Once they have a thin brown crust on most of the sides, it’s done.

Peppers are also available all year round. You can get one of each color (red, green, and yellow) and you will have enough for at least 4 people. The most work you have to do is slice them, and sometimes you can buy them pre-sliced. I personally like the chopping. Stress-relief.

For this dish, I cooked the peppers first in a big pan with some oil (I had too much, but whatever) and later added the sausage in a corner of it. It is one less pan to wash, and the flavored oil from the peppers cooked the sausage. Very tasty. Who knew being lazy would result in such a great dish.

The rice was also very easy. My family might kill me for this, but cooking rice is just as easy or easier than cooking pasta. The rule of thumb is simple: for whatever amount of rice, double the water. You can substitute chicken or beef stock instead of water if you have it on hand. I used water, two tabs of butter, and a little salt. Let it boil away, without touching it, until it looks like the water is absorbed. Then, lower the heat and cover it. The rest of the water will steam away. You might get a little rice crust on the bottom. I don’t mind the little crunchy bits, but whatever suits your fancy.

I didn’t take pictures while cooking the dish. I apologize. To be honest, I didn’t think of it until I served my friend’s dish. I need to be better at remembering that step. But here are some different angles and closeups of how the sausage should look like.

Sausage and Peppers

RECIPE – serves 2 – 4 people / Prep & Cook Time: 30 – 40 minutes.

6 beef sausages
3 bell peppers (one of each color)
3 – 4 tbs olive oil
2 cups white rice
4 cups water
2 – 3 tabs of butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. Add the rice to a medium-sized pot over high heat. Add the water and butter. Do not cover.
2. Allow rice to boil for approximately 20 minutes or until the water looks evaporated. Then lower heat and cover until ready to serve.

In the meantime..

3. Slice bell peppers into thin strips, doing away with the seeds.
4. Add oil to a big pan on high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the peppers. Salt and Pepper to taste.
5. Occasionally move the peppers around in the pan to keep them from burning.
6. When the peppers are halfway cooked, move them to one side of the pan.
7. Add the sausages. Allow a few minutes to cook before rolling them to another side. Keep moving the peppers around.
8. Keep rolling the sausages every few minutes until the sausages are cooked to your desire. The peppers should be cooked down and nicely carmelized at this point.

TO SERVE

1. Plate the rice on the dish first.
2. Add the peppers and a little extra oil on top.
3. Sausages placed on the side.
4. ENJOY!