Pasta with turkey sausage and peppers

Let me say, this is not a complex or unique recipe. BUT it is a tasty one. I admit it, my last trip to one of those wholesale grocery stores. You know the type of place you can buy 250 pounds of tabasco sauce.. But they had this oversized package of turkey sausage. So on impulse I bought it and boy am I glad. I split them up and froze them and my husband is a happy happy man.

So here it is.




4 links of turkey sausage
1 1/2 cup of chopped mixed bell peppers
1/2 medium onion - chopped small
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
10 grape tomatoes - halved
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1/2 tbsp of parsley
1/2 pound of pasta
2 tbsps of Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Cook pasta per directions on box.




In a saute pan, add Olive Oil and heat. Add the sausage and saute for about 6 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Salt and pepper the vegetable. Then add the tomatoes and parsley. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove sausage and cut into small slices. The sausage may not be cooked fully. Add the sausage back into the pan and cook for 8 -10 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Kitchen gadgets

I admit it. I love them. I swear I have become a much better cook now that I have a mini food processor like this one.



















And a wonderful random cheap tool like this pan for grilling veggies, like last nights onions.














Oh and my things like my zester, my garlic press and my nifty grill pan! I mean who doesn't like grilled food in the middle of January. But my main reason for my post is that I talk about these tools without explaining what I mean. So go out and get these wonderful amazing tools.

Balsamic Glazed Grilled Pork Chops and Onions

This recipe comes as a variation of this Rachael Ray recipe But I wanted to be able to make it on the grill in the summer. So I changed it up a bit. And its super yummy now. Oh and I have used many different types of onions with this. Red, Yellow, White, Vidalia, Texas Honey White. All come amazingly good and tasty. But for this photo, I used regular old yellow onions. The ones I always have on hand.

Marinade
¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
½ cup of Olive Oil
2 tbs of honey
4 cloves of garlic - I crush it in my garlic press
½ tsp of rosemary – chopped finely
½ tsp of thyme – chopped finely
½ tsp of parsley – chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste

Wisk ingredients together to incorporate.

4 boneless thin cut pork chops
1 medium onion – sliced into rings

Split the marinade so that ½ of the marinade on the pork chops, ¼ of the marinade on onions and reserve ¼ of the marinade for basting.

On a heated grill, place the pork chops and cook the first side for about 7-8 minutes and the second side for about 5-6 minutes. Basting frequently while cooking.

Then add the marinade onions and cook until onions turn soft and brown.

Serve with rice or couscous.

Serves 3-4