Recipe Wednesday - Sausage and Peppers: The Remix

"All food is comfort food. Maybe I just like to chew." -Lewis Black

I have finally mastered my sausage and pepper recipe! Thick, saucy, and full of flavor. It is the perfect comfort food for those chilly nights when you just want to cuddle on the couch and binge watch Netflix. It is also incredibly easy and uses simple ingredients. For a remix on the classic, I decided to use Spinach and Feta chicken sausage for some added flavor, instead of the usual Italian sausage. POW!  

I'm not always the best with remembering to measure my ingredients but here we go: (*Note: I prepped this meal for 2, so please adjust measurements as you see fit)

1 pack sausage (this can be sweet or spicy Italian sausage, chicken sausage, etc., or any kind you fancy)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 green pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder (i love garlic, so i actually probably put a little more than that)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or your favorite tomato sauce, if bottle is your thing. No judgement here)
1/2 cup red wine ( I used a Bordeaux)

What I've learned is that prepping ingredients beforehand will make your life so much easier. So the first step is slicing the peppers and onions. 

So Pretty! 

Next, cook sausage with olive oil in a skillet and brown each side. Once sausages are beautifully browned, remove them from the skillet. In the same skillet, add the onions, peppers, and salt and cook until onions are slightly brown and translucent. Then add tomato sauce, wine, oregano and garlic powder. Let simmer for about 2 minutes. 

In the meantime, cut each sausage into pieces (about 4 - 6 each). Then add the cut sausage back into the skillet and stir to combine. Cover the skillet and let simmer until sauce thickens.  

Voila! That is all. Meal complete. This can be served over rice, pasta, or on a sandwich roll. I served mine over quinoa and topped it with Parmesan cheese and avocado (I'm addicted to avocado). 

Bon Appetit! 

Breakfast - The Most Important Meal of the Day

"What nicer thing can you do for somebody than 

make them breakfast?" - Anthony Bourdain

Banana Pancakes

With fall right around the corner, what better way to enjoy a crisp Sunday morning than warm, sweet homemade banana pancakes? This easy recipe will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling that will help kick start your day!

It took two tries to master this recipe and combine just the right ingredients. After getting my fiance's seal of approval, I thought it would be the perfect recipe to jump start my blog again. You will never have to buy pre-made pancake mix again!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon coconut sugar (Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Sugar is divine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vanilla soy milk (regular whole milk can be used instead)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 large egg

1 1/2 medium ripe bananas

Directions

If using an electric griddle, heat to 375 degrees or heat a skillet over medium heat. 

Combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine milk, oil, vanilla and egg and whisk together. 

Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until moistened. Lumps are good!! Once mixed, slice bananas and add to mixture. As you mix the bananas into the mixture, carefully crush them slightly into the batter.

Grease the skillet or griddle with butter, oil or Pam (I used Pam) and spoon batter on nice and round. (mine were more abstract round) Cook until the tops have some bubbles, flip and allow the other side to brown. 

Remove from the griddle or skillet and enjoy with your favorite topping! I added sliced bananas, honey and a sprinkle of coconut sugar to mine. Delicious!!!

Bon Appetit!

**Spotlight Friday's**

Hallelujah it's Friday!! What a week!

Today's special Spotlight Friday will feature 2 picks that my fellow New Yorkers could possibly enjoy this weekend.

"No sleep till Brooklyn!"

As I mentioned in one of my posts this week, I spent one of the last days of my summer with Don Pepe visiting his friends in Brooklyn. We were supposed to go Salsa Dancing, however we let the night guide us and ended up staying in their new area. (They just moved there) I was actually so happy we did, because they took us to 2 places I pretty much fell in love with!

Apt 138

138 Smith St.

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY,

Yelp.com

We went here for a late night dinner, about 11pm, after finishing off two bottles of wine in our friends apartment. Thank goodness this place was within walking distance.

As you step in, it resembles a typical small bar/restaurant. Very dim lighting, and small intimate tables. However, when you go you MUST request their garden seating. They take you down the stairs and past the kitchen and into the most adorable, spacious outside seating area. (pictured above) The wooden tables adorned with candlelight make it so romantic.

We ordered another 2 bottles of wine and then our feast was as follows:

Appetizer: Mozzarella & Tomato - Now I've eaten this dish about a million times in my life, and who knew anyone could make this simple dish actually stand out! It was either the best balsamic dressing I've ever had, or the delicious pesto sauce that lined the outskirts of the plate, that made me want to order, 2 or 3 more. AMAZING!

Entrees: Jess and I ordered breakfast for dinner. Yes I said it, breakfast for dinner! A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a giant english muffin with potatoes and a salad. The sandwich was huge, the cheese was just dripping off of it and the bacon was nice and crunchy, just how I like it!! Gosh, writing this makes me want it right now! Jay went with the Goat Cheese frittata. It looked heavenly, but I'm not the biggest fan of goat cheese and he didn't really find it to be all that great. My bf Don Pepe, ordered the seafood paella. His favorite dish anywhere we go. It had mussels, shrimp, chicken, chorizo and peas all mixed in Spanish rice. He didn't talk much while eating it so I'm guessing it was excellent!

Sides: We all shared a side of Macaroni & Cheese. It was big enough to be someones entire meal. Now if you read my blog regularly, then I'm sure you have already realized what a HUGE fan of macaroni & cheese I am. I literally almost melted in my seat after one spoonful. It was soooo cheesy and had clumps of BACON in it! I swear I was in Macaroni and cheese heaven!!!

If you are ever in the Boerum Hill area of Brooklyn, this is a must stop! Actually even if you are not in that area, just take the trip and go!

Our next stop was for some after dinner dessert and drinks!

CAMP

179 Smith St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

The place actually really resembles a cabin in the woods somewhere, adorned with deer heads and all. They even have a Buck Shooting game, which I learned I am terrible at, but it was still so much fun. But you want to know what really made this place worth writing about? S'MORES!

You can actually make s'mores right at your table. They provide you with Hersheys chocolate, Graham Crackers and marshmallows, and you can actually roast the marshmallows at your table! It's genius!!!!

It was really such a great place to enjoy time with friends. And what's better than conversing with people you love over s'mores? Nothing.

So there you have it. A couple of "Brooklyn's finest" establishments.

Dang, I need to go back right now!!! =)

My Crack, I mean, My Smoothie Addiction

I am seriously addicted. As a matter of fact, I need my fix right now. Not sure what McDonald's has put in these things, but I'm pretty sure they are sprinkled with some addictive substance!

End of Summer Blues!

It's the last day of summer =( I hope everyone enjoyed this great season, through heat waves, tornadoes and all!

How have you enjoyed your summer? I spent most of mine enjoying some new restaurants, NYC restaurant week, trips to the Dominican Republic and Washington DC. Watching my godson grow, Yankee Games, parties, weddings, BBQs, beach, sitting poolside, and lounging! It really was a great summer!

This last weekend of summer was great! Friday spent time with my aunt for our monthly wine and cheese night. Saturday hit up Harlem and Brooklyn with my love Don Pepe. I pretty much think Brooklyn is my new love! We had dinner with friends at Apartment 138 and then walked down the street for some drinks at Camp. They were both amazing!! I will do a double feature Spotlight Friday on these 2 Brooklyn spots. But for just a glimpse into my review, imagine breakfast for dinner and possibly the best mac and cheese you ever tasted, finishing it off with do it yourself S'mores and a game of Buck Hunter. It really doesn't get any better. On Sunday, it was a day full of relaxing! Spent some time with family and Don Pepe, then caught up with an old friend Nikki, over some rum & cokes and pool.

But now it's on to enjoying the many adventures and events that Fall and Winter brings. Time to put away the bikinis and bring out the Northface jackets and boots!