Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day. We had some friends over, along with my mother-in-law. The weather was perfect to sit outside in the lanai, and I proudly showed everyone the updates in my garden. Everyone was dutifully impressed and contributed just the right amount of gushing. I noticed my serrano peppers were getting huge, so I had to do something with a few of them pretty quickly.
So, this morning I ran over to the grocery store and went over to the meats to check out some possibilities. It turned out that the hot Italian sausage was on sale, which I love in my sausage, peppers and onions dish, and I can throw in the serrano peppers for an added kick. I have used other kinds of sausage in this dish, and if the sausage with cheese and spinach, kale or whatever was on sale, I definitely would have been able to use that. I try to stay away from the mild sausage, because I really like a little heat.
I took a quick trip around the produce section and chose a large yellow onion and three great-looking poblano peppers. I prefer to use poblano peppers with the onions and sausage rather than bell peppers. The poblanos have a touch of heat to them, which the bell peppers lack, and they have a warmer, earthier flavor that really complements the other ingredients. They also hold up well after sauteing them.
When I got back from the store, I went out to pick some serrano peppers. I’m not sure what type of serrano pepper I’m growing, so I wasn’t sure if they would turn red or just stay green. I chose the largest three. They came off the plant really easily, and they feel ripe. I knew they would have a kick to them, so I started slicing them into julienne-like slivers. I wanted to keep them thin, just in case the heat was overpowering. I was also careful to remove the seeds and ribs to further reduce the amount of heat (again, just in case – you can always make it hotter, but it’s hard to remove heat). You can wear gloves when you cut the peppers, especially if you have sensitive skin. If your hands do start to burn, you can rub cooking oil, whole milk or yogurt on them to reduce the burn. Remember not to rub your eyes!
Next, I started on the poblano peppers. I just sliced those into about ½ inch strips. I did also remove the seeds and ribs, because I have heard that the seeds can be bitter, although they are definitely edible. You could leave them in, if you like. I cut the ends off the onion and cut it in half. Then I sliced off wedges, getting about 5-6 wedges per half onion. The wedges will separate during sautéing. Slice 4 cloves of garlic. That’s all the prep you need.
If I’m in a hurry, I’ll cook the sausages in the air fryer separately. To cook them in the air fryer, I spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray and place the sausages directly into the basket, making sure there is some space between them all to promote even cooking. I heat the air fryer to 370 degrees, and once it’s hot, I put the basket with the sausages in to cook for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. This method gives you a nice, crispy casing that works well with the sautéed vegetables, and I can sauté the vegetables at the same time. However, if I have time, I really prefer to cook the sausages in the pan I will be using for the vegetables. The drippings from the sausages adds a great flavor to the dish.
First, I heat the pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. I don’t suggest using a non-stick pan, as it won’t brown the sausages as well. A really hot pan allows the sausages to brown nicely. The oil is added so the sausages are less likely to stick. I generally start with medium-high. Once the pan and oil are hot, I add the sausages and turn them frequently to brown evenly. I continue cooking them for 6-8 minutes to thoroughly cook the sausage. Then I move the sausages to a side plate, turn down the heat to medium and add the onions and peppers. Cook them for about 6 minutes, until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Sausage, Peppers and Onion
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5-6 raw sausages (I used hot Italian sausages, but use your favorites)
3 poblano peppers, sliced lengthwise
3 serrano or hot chili peppers, depending on your heat preference (optional), julienned
1 large onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Once the pan and oil are hot, place the sausages into the skillet.
Turn the sausages frequently in the pan for 6 to 8 minutes to evenly brown, until the skin looks slightly charred. Move the sausages to a holding plate.
Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the onions and peppers to the skillet. Season them with 3-4 of shakes from a salt shaker and some freshly cracked pepper (about a ½ tbsp) and continue to sauté them for about 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to get soft (but not too soft). Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Stir the sausages back into the skillet to rewarm (also add any drippings from the plate). You can either serve it like this, or you can put a sausage in a roll and pile on the onions and peppers, and top with your favorite cheese.
