::roasted:red:pepper:&:sausage:orecchiette::

In The Kitchen...

For some reason my blog is beginning to get slightly mundane for me. I am not sure if it's the font or the layout...maybe not the layout, but the background? Or maybe I am just in a mood today, lol. 

The long weekend is right around the corner, literally, a few hours away and I am trying to think of ways to fill our time as money is tight right now and we don't have the money to go away or do much of anything. 

I do plan on spending at least one day devoted to studying and finishing my exam so I can have that sent off for marking by Tuesday. 

I would also love to go to the beach or at least spend an afternoon walking around and seeing something new. 

I also need to start taking more pictures - document my adventures. ;) 

So...I tried that quinoa recipe the other night and it was deeeeelicious! I definitely recommend it 110% ~ it's something I will definitely be making again. Quinoa is scrumptious! 

On another note - and I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but the past week, I have dropped 6.4lbs. It is quite possible that a lot of it has been water weight and I might climb back up a bit when I weigh in again tomorrow but I have been doing *extremely* well with eating healthy this week and portion control so I am very optimistic and motivated to continue this healthy eating lifestyle. ;) I do need to work on a few things here and there, but other then that, doin' good!

I was going back through my blog recently and I saw a post where I wrote out things I was grateful for and I think I am going to start doing more of that on a day to day basis as well. 

But before I go on with that, I wanted to share a new recipe that I really would love to try out tonight. It's from Martha Stewart's site {surprise surprise!} and it looks and sounds delicious! 

But first...a little more on the star in this recipe. 

The bell pepper.

Growing up I wasn't a huge fan of the bell pepper...if I didn't have to eat it, then I wouldn't. I didn't want it in salads, on my burgers or nothing...I didn't care for it on the side or grilled either, but recently I have been getting into it more and more. I especially am digging it in my salads, and I do enjoy it especially grilled on the bbq. So when I saw this recipe I was intrigued. Some oven broiled grilled-like peppers, with pasta?? Hmm...sounds kinda interesting, why not? 

Bell peppers are low in calories at about 45 calories for one full cup - that's quite a bonus when you are trying to watch your figure! They are loaded with plenty of vitamin C which powers up your immune system and keeps your skin looking youthful - and who doesn't want that? 

Red bell peppers in particular contain several phytochemicals and carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which packs a punch with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. 

They are also good sources of vitamin A, E and B6 - which is essential for the nervous system and helps renew cells. 

That's just SOME of the benefits to eating bell peppers...there is so much more it can quite frankly boggle the mind! ;) So this meal definitely has it's benefits! So let's get on with the recipe, shall we?? 

Bon Appetit!

Orecchiette with Sausage & Roasted Peppers
Freshly roasted peppers give this heart pasta a smoky taste. If you like, you can use jarred peppers, thinly sliced, instead of making your own, and skip step 1. To skin the peppers, char them and then cover tightly with plastic wrap. This will produce steam and make the skins come off easily. 

Prep: 20 min // Total: 40 min // Servings: 6

Ingredients
2 medium red bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded
2 medium yellow bell peppers, four flat sides sliced off core, ribs and seeds discarded

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound orecchiette or other short pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooks Notes: When cooking pasta, save a little of the cooking water before draining -- drizzling a little of it into the finished dish will improve the consistency of your sauce. 

Directions
STEP 1 - Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl. Thinly slice peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; return to bowl. Set aside. 

STEP 2 - In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. 

STEP 3 - Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers; cook until heated through. 

STEP 4 - Transfer sausage mixture to bowl; add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. 

Doesn't that sound simply delicious!? 

Wow! Definitely trying this one tonight!

-S.*