Fiddle Chicken Sausages and Peppers

Peppers and Sausage are true comfort food but many assume they are a splurge instead of healthy. Fortunately, there are so many terrific Chicken Sausages on the market with great taste and flavor. For this recipe I used Trader Joe's Chicken Italian Sausages that are 110 calories for each link. (picture coming soon!) But you can substitute any sausage and if you buy one that is 140 or 160 calories each, and just make a mental note that your recipe will be 30-50 calories more, which isn't much. Or put a tiny bit less sausage in your serving if it is a higher calorie one.

I also want to mention that I've included mushrooms in this recipe. I love the way mushrooms taste and never thought ever that they would have any nutrients in them because they are white and seem so plain tasting. I guess I thought something had to be a dark leafy green to have vitamins in it. But it turns out that mushrooms "are the second known source after cod-liver oil to contain Vitamin-D in edible form." They are also a great source of potassium and help fight cholesterol. I've read all sorts of great reports on them. Google "health benefits of mushrooms and you'll find article after article. Here is only one link.

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-mushroom.html

They key to the best Philly Cheese Steaks and the best peppers and onions is to give the onions time to cook and caramelize. I start cooking the onions while I'm still chopping and slicing everything else so they can get a head start on the cooking process. Turn them down low or the heat off if they start to cook too quickly before you've finished everything else. This is also a dish that can be made ahead and reheated for lunch.

You can serve it with a half cup of rice or get a small bread roll that in the 100 calorie range and make a sandwich out of it.

FIDDLE PEPPERS AND SAUSAGES

Makes 3 1-cup servings

I like the richness that tomato paste adds to this when it caramelizes with the sausage and cooked onions and peppers.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

pinch of kosher salt on onions

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

(or I frequently use jalapenos because we like the food spicier

you can use 3-4 jalapenos, seeded and sliced or a pasilla chile)

1 8-ounce package of mushrooms, sliced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

5 Trader Joe's Chicken Italian Sausages, sliced in rounds

2 tablespoons tomato paste, optional
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (for those that like a little heat)

In a large skillet over medium high heat start cooking onions in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and turn heat down. Stir occasionally and let onions start to soften and caramelize. Add the peppers and mushrooms and continue to stir and cook until mushrooms cook down.

If your pan is large enough move the cooked onion mixture to one side of the pan and brown the sliced sausages in the other side of the pan. Stir everything together.  Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes (optional.)  Continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes while the tomato paste caramelizes.

Serve with a half cup of rice or on a roll. Arugula, and Italian Salad or Cabbage Salad also go well with this.

229 calories per 1-cup serving.