Stuffed Banana Peppers

I bought the banana peppers and the sausage from my local CSA.  I think the key to this very simple recipe is not to stress if the banana pepper breaks apart. You can always layer, instead of stuff, these ingredients.  From the bottom...banana peppers topped with sausage mix topped with tomato mix topped with cheese.   Simple

Stuffed banana peppers

• 5-6 banana peppers
• 1 lb. pork sausage (mild or hot)
• 1 chopped onion (white, yellow, or Vidalia)
• 1 chopped bell pepper (green, red, or yellow)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (Use 1 or 2 more if you love garlic)
• 1 - 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbl. fresh or 2 tsp. dried basil and oregano
• 1 tbs. olive oil & cooking spray
• shredded mozzarella cheese for top

1. Soften banana peppers in boiling water from 5-7 minutes, depending on their size. Remove and set aside
   on paper towels.  
2. Brown the sausage with ½ chopped onion, chopped pepper, 1 minced garlic clove, and ½ of the spices
   together. When the sausage is fully cooked and the peppers have softened, remove and set aside.
3. Keeping the pan hot, spray and add the olive oil. Heat the tomatoes with the remaining onion, garlic, and
   herbs. Taste and add more herbs if you like. Boil, reduce to simmer immediately, and cook 10-15 minutes.
4. Cut the cooled banana peppers lengthwise and remove the tops and seeds. Open side up, line a casserole
   dish.
5. Stuff the opened peppers with the sausage mixture. Pour sauce over the middle of all the stuffed peppers.
   Top with the cheese. Bake at 350F until bubbly.

You'll never grill steaks outside again

The key to “grilling” steaks indoors is the cast iron skillet.  You can use a flat one or a ribbed one.    The ribbed ones are good for giving the steaks get “grill” marks, but the flat one allows the steaks to cook in juices.  Let’s start with those juices.

30 minutes before you preheat the oven, season the steaks on both sides.  I use a steak seasoning from Aldis.  Nothing extravagant, just lots of salt, pepper, and garlic.

30 minutes later, preheat the oven to 350 F. 

On the stove, get the cast iron skillet medium-high hot.  Once hot, spray with something like Pam.  Just before you put the steaks in the pan, add something flavorful—butter, olive oil, or bacon grease.  If I have grease, I use it. 

Then put the steaks on the hot, oiled pan without touching each other.  Check at 5 minutes.  If they’re getting crusty, flip and cook for 5 minutes on the other side.  But if not crusty, cook another minute or two.  

Bottom line…when both sides are crusty, you’re finished grilling on the stove.  

Put the steaks in an oven-proof dish with foil securely wrapped on top. 

Turn off the oven. Put the steaks in the oven.  Leave there for 10 minutes or more.  I really don’t fuss about it. 

The cast iron pan should still be hot.  Add some full-bodied red wine, like port or pinot noir, to the steaks’ juices.  (Truthfully, I unload something from the pantry that’s been stored for a while.)  Stirr, stir, stir, allowing the juices and wine to reduce by about half.  Melt in 2-4 tablespoons of butter. Keep stirring until you have the right consistency. 

Five minutes before you’re serving, remove the dish from the oven and let rest on plate or cutting board.  They should look something like this… 

Serve with the juices/wine concoction and, of course, mashed potatoes.