The history of the "piccata" dish is a bit confusing, but many believe it to be of American design, most likely by Italian-American immigrants during the 1930's. Piccatas today are generally made with veal, but here in the U.S., chicken prevails.
You ask, “What could possibly make a cheesy grits and Italian pork sausage combo taste better?”
Southern Living magazine has the answer: It’s seasoned cheesy grits and Italian pork sausage, stuffing a tender bell pepper with mozzarella cheese sprinkled over all and baked!
Deliciousness comes together in this flavorful and easy meal for your family and friends too, it's that good!
Surprisingly, all bell peppers contain more Vitamin C than an orange, ranging from 95 mg in a green to a whopping 341 mg in a yellow. They're also super low-cal, containing just 45 calories per cup, making them the the perfect snack. Maybe we should be eating bell peppers instead of of reaching for a glass of sugary orange juice to ward off a cold!
And who doesn't like grits?
Here's the Ten Commandments of Grits:
1. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits. 2. Thou shalt not eat Cream of Wheat and call it Grits; for this is blasphemy. 3. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Grits. 4. Thou shalt only use Salt, Butter and Cheese as toppings for thy Grits. 5. Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits. 6. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits. 7. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits. 8. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits. 9. Thou shalt not put sugar on thy Grits either. 10. Thou shalt not put sugar or syrup on thy Grits.
Amen, right on!
There are 8 colors in the bell pepper family. Besides the usual green, red and yellow, the family includes orange, black, brown, ivory and purple.
Any color bell pepper could be used in this slightly adapted Southern Living recipe, I opted for red peppers simply because red is my favorite color. The important thing is to make sure the peppers are large enough to be stuffed with the cheese and grits filling, 3 of them should total about 20 ounces.
After stuffing the peppers with the savory filling, and baking them, whisk a simple vinaigrette, then toss in a few grape tomatoes to drizzle over the peppers before serving.
We all really liked this savory and satisfying version of stuffed peppers, so the recipe is a keeper!
Yield: 6 servings Author: Pam
Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage
Cheesy grits and Italian sausage provide a savory and satisfying filling for bell peppers!
prep time: 15 MINScook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 15 mins
Preheat oven to 350°. Microwave bell peppers on HIGH 2 minutes to soften slightly. Cut bell peppers in half through the stem. Remove seeds and white membranes using a serrated tomato corer or melon baller. Discard seeds and membranes.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage to skillet; cook 4 minutes, stirring to break into small pieces. Add onion to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked and onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove sausage mixture from pan.
Add grits to skillet; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, milk, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to skillet; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture, and half of the cheese.
Divide mixture evenly among bell pepper halves. Place side by side on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is browned and peppers are tender, about 30 minutes.
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
Add tomatoes; toss to coat. Serve over peppers.
Enjoy!
Our Prayers and Best Wishes to everyone in the path of the hurricanes! And let's remember, honor and pay tribute to all those affected by the events of 9/11...
I love warm salads such as wilted lettuce salads and this recipe is along that line, only this one contains nutritious spinach.
In the summertime, Dad would pick the lettuce and Mom made her wilted salad most nights. I loved the taste of it; the hot bacon drippings with vinegar and a little sugar tossed with the lettuce and onions. That was the best of salads back then.
Now, I have moved on and love it with spinach also. This salad is filled with good things: lots of bacon, red onion and pecans with a tangy dressing. Especially, in the winter time when spinach is plentiful, this is an excellent way to incorporate fresh winter greens into your dinner menu.
With heating the spinach somewhat, it serves a dual purpose: it makes the salad more suitable for a cold day when raw lettuce might not be appealing and it diminishes the effects of oxalic acid. Spinach is rich in oxalic acid ~ that is what gives spinach the tang but, it interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and iron. The acid is much higher in raw spinach.
This is a rich, colorful and flavorful salad and if you are a bacon lover like I am, that’s all the better! I hope you give this a try!
Warm Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
½ cup pecan halves
6 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pint (2 cups) grape tomatoes
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 to 3 bunches (1½ pounds total) flat-leaf spinach, trimmed, cleaned and dried
Coarse salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from skillet.
Add onion to skillet. Cook until crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add tomatoes, vinegar and sugar.
Simmer until liquid thickens slightly and tomatoes are heated through, 1-2 minutes.
Place spinach in a bowl and pour hot tomato-onion mixture over it.
