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| Penne with Sausage and Peppers |
Pennewith Sausage and Peppers
Cooktime: 20 min
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten free penne
- 1 lb of Italian sausage
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- ¼ cup red wine
- ¼ cup cream, optional
- 1 tsp thyme or Italian seasoning
- salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
VideoTutorial:
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on to boil so that it’s ready to cook the macaroni when it’s time.
- Slice the sausage into 1 inch lengths then add it to a large pan over a medium high heat, with a tbsp. of olive oil.
- Sauté the sausage for 5 or 6 minutes tossing them around until they’re browned on all sides.
- Add the peppers and onions to the pan and sauté for another 3-4 minutes before using your stirring utensil, to clear a small space in the pan then add the other tablespoon of olive oil along with the sliced garlic and sauté for another minute or two of until the garlic softens then stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, and spices and stir to combine then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drop your penne into the salted water to cook until it’s one minute shy of the package instructions.
- Once the pasta is done stir it into the sausage and peppers but be sure to reserve a little pasta cooking liquid to loosen up the dish if it looks too dry.
- Add the cream if you’re using it and stir to get all the pasta nicely coated and this dish is ready to serve.
Hello 2013- You sure opened the door to the new year with a bang! First, this delicious cheesecake and second, the flu hitting our house starting with my little 2 year old son. I made this last week to celebrate the new year and then...I kinda forgot about it. Life goes on pause while you nurse the sickness and try to get back to normal again (I will have to write another post about some of the cold/flu remedies we survived with another time).
Like I said in my last post, this baby likes it's desserts. And because I have been occasionally eating some organic dairy while pregnant I had some plain yogurt to use up as well. This idea came to me when I thought about how plain organic yogurt, strained, makes a really great yogurt-cheese. Add some leftover coffee and chocolate from the holidays and a magical cheesecake comes into play. This was a new experiment for me, and I am very happy with how it turned out and will be trying this again in the future for sure.
You could easily make this recipe grain-free by omitting the GF oat flour in the crust and subbing it for almond or another favorite nut-flour. Not coconut flour though, it would be to fibrous, but if you like almond flour or meal that would be a great sub there. I was surprised at how the yogurt and eggs really do the trick to make this cake creamy and thick and rich. You won't even miss the traditionally cheesecake made with lots of cream cheese. This is a great healthy cheesecake alternative that I am not ashamed to eat or share.
About this time every year, I start dreaming and trying to make lovely loaves of bread to eat with comforting bowls of soup. Or just to have around as a lunch or snack topped with sunflower seed butter and homemade pear butter or whatever fruit and nut you like. It's funny because when I looked back the past 3 years I have posted some form of "protein" bread in January, so I guess my instinct for bread making in January cannot be denied. This bread is no different. It is full of whole grain goodness and protein along with a hefty helping of chia seed meal to make it full of fiber, antioxidants and even more protein.
There is something about making your own bread as a gluten-free lady that makes you feel like you conquered some law of science that said it can't be done. It isn't easy, but it can be done and this one is also done without yeast, eggs, dairy and any kind of gummy addition, which is also a challenge these days. Regardless if you have failed before in the GF bread baking dept. I challenge you to try again and try and make it interesting and not always compare it to the bread from Italy, France or gourmet local bakery. Because we all know that you just can't completely compare, you are using different flours and how could you come up with the same exact result, right?! The goal is to find a bread that makes you feel like you are not settling, one that you really can say you love and that the best part is it is gluten-free.
I do have some days where I just want to stroll along the brickroad street and pick up a hearty loaf of goodness from the local baker. Especially after living over seas in the Middle East and seeing parts of Europe it seems a special simple novelty that should happen on a daily basis. I haven't found a local gluten-free bakery yet here in Grand Rapids that offers that same feel, and have only experienced once or twice in other cities while traveling. So instead of mopping and crying about it, why don't you try and make a loaf yourself. It does take some patience, and possibly some skill, but when you complete it the result is something of a feeling of accomplishment that you can only sense ever so often. Like building something from nothing or finishing a race worth running.
It is worth it. But don't take my word for it, try it out and see what happens. I bet it may not be perfect or what you intended, but just trying it will help you see that it is possible and you may find yourself trying again to perfect a recipe or try new recipes as well. I made this loaf last week to get through another gloomy day here in Michigan. Where is the snow people?! At least if the grey was covered in white I think I could feel more romantic about winter.
In the meantime, I will be coping with some fresh homemade bread a pot of homemade soup and possible a book late into the evening. I think it is the only way to really feel the rest that winter intends for us. I hope you are finding new hopes this 2013!
A blog friend of mine, Joelle, recently sent me some amazing essential oil samples. She was kind enough to share my favorites: lemon, lavender and peppermint. Plus, it's amazing how much knowledge she can share when it comes to how these oils treat and deal with so many everyday issues and symptoms. I just love soothing a health issue with a natural harmless oil rather than a drug, chemical or even something you have to swallow. She was also generous to offer one of you a bottle of some amazing lemon essential oil... so see the end of post for details in winning a bottle of your own...
I also love how you can cook and bake with many of these essential oils. The lemon flavor in these muffins are just wonderful-with full scent and flavor of a fresh lemon tree. Which has been perfectly satisfying to me, because I have had an intense lemon craving lately, like all the time! I just can't get enough of the fresh and sunshiny flavor. Especially in the dead of winter when you are looking for bright and beautiful distractions from the grey and cold outside. The smell is also energy boosting and brings immunity with it when it is digested.
Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Muffin Recipe 
OK, so how can you win a fabulous bottle of doTerra lemon oil of your own....?
Tis' the month of February. The season of love. The time of year which is usually grey and cold outside and warm and cozy on the inside. Which means I will probably be enjoying baking treats, reading books, and resting up for the spring time hussle and bussle.
These cookies have been on my mind for a while, but especially after I started using doTerra's lemon essential oil in my kitchen. It is so fun to add a touch of very strong lemon flavor to your favorite muffin, cake, water or cookie. I love lemon so I go a little overboard, but truly it is a nice way to add some fresh goodness to your food.
How cute is that?! A cute little cookie shaped into a heart. I will have to make some more before the big V-day coming up. Even without the added chocolate in this recipe, these sweeties stole my heart and my morning tea time as well. Or maybe they should also be dipped in melted chocolate too? Hm... no, I like these simple and sweet just as they are!
They are extra crispy and even have a little bite to them. You can add some dried lavender or rosemary if you want to add in more flavor. Or add in some more citrus with some orange oil or zest to make it even more citrus-y and zesty. I tried this out using the simple basic flavors and it didn't disappoint.
Lemon Shortbread Cookie Recipe
