Sausage and peppers with rice

This recipe is one of my favorites.  It should be noted that I say that about all my recipes.  To pick a favorite one would be like picking a favorite star in the sky or a favorite child.  It's just not possible.  This sausage and peppers recipe, like many of my recipes, is a healthier version of something my grandmother makes. I substitute regular sausage for chicken or turkey sausage and of course I use Tofurkey sausage for my significant vegetarian.  The veggie sausage can be found in the vegetarian refrigerator aisle, not the frozen vegetarian aisle.  I have trouble finding it sometimes in new supermarkets because it is not a popular item and the people who work there often don't know what I am talking about.   

The rice recipe I use is a mexican white rice recipe from www.epicurious.com I like to use basmati rice which is a long-grain rice instead of a medium-grain and the italian in me will always use olive oil over canola.  So I guess that makes this a Mexican-Indian-Italian recipe.

Mexican-Indian-Italian White Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved

3/4 cup finely chopped white onion

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

3 cups hot water

2 large fresh Italian parsley sprigs

1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

1. Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. 

2. Add garlic and sauté until deep brown, about 3 minutes. 

3. Discard garlic. Add onion to saucepan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. 

4. Add rice; stir 5 minutes. 

5. Add 3 cups hot water, parsley, and salt (mixture will sputter). 

6. Bring to boil, stirring. 

7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

8. Stir rice, then re-cover and continue to simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 5 minutes longer. 

9. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. 

10. Discard parsley and fluff rice with fork.

Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 red peppers

2 orange peppers

2 yellow pepper

2 medium onions

1 package of pre-sliced mushrooms

1 package of tofurkey or other fake sausage sliced into rounds

1 package of pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage sliced into rounds

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. 

2. Add peppers, onions and mushrooms and saute until tender.

3. While the veggies are cooking heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium in a second frying pan.

4. Take half of the finished veggies and put them into the second frying pan.  

5. Add the tofurkey and real sausage to their respective pans.  

6. Serve when sausages are warmed through and slightly browned.