Looking for something to warm you up on a cold winter day? Try this pasta dish with an easy tomato sauce. I selected red bell peppers both for presentation and flavor. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are all similar in flavor and referred to as “sweet” bell peppers, which is a nice contrast for the spice in this recipe. Green bell peppers have a slightly stronger, more bitter taste. Of all the colors, red peppers have the highest amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Beta Carotene. Feel free to substitute which ever color or color combination  you prefer.

There are two options for adding heat to this recipe. The first is to use hot Italian sausages. The second is to use sweet Italian sausage or regular bulk sausage then add red pepper flakes to taste (from 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp, depending on your palate). The recipe below is shown using the hot Italian sausage. For the vinegar in this recipe, I used a flavored shallot vinegar, but nearly any variety will do: white wine, red wine, balsamic, or even apple cider in a pinch.

Spicy Sausage & Peppers Pasta

1 box (16 oz) short shaped pasta, such as penne
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 pkg (8 oz) sliced mini bella mushrooms
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water, and return to pot. Toss pasta with olive oil, set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break apart with a wooden spoon. Add mushrooms and a small amount of olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes, then add diced onion. Season with salt and pepper, then saute 3 minutes. Add red bell pepper and garlic (if using sweet or mild sausage, add red pepper flakes at this point). Saute 3-5 minutes, until peppers are crisp-tender. Add vinegar, oregano, and tomato sauce. Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat.

Add sausage mixture to pasta and toss. If mixture is too dry, add pasta water a little at a time until sauce is desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Here is one of my side dishes from Thanksgiving this year, full of seasonal root vegetables along with the flavors of fresh ginger and maple syrup. The vegetables can be prepped the night before, or during the day while the turkey is cooking.

While the turkey is cooking, prepare the dish and place it in the oven during the last 20 minutes of the turkey cooking time. Once you remove the turkey, increase the heat to 400F and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 more minutes. This gives you time to let the turkey rest and get the rest of the food ready, then pull out the vegetables right before serving.

When preparing the vegetables, cut everything to the same relative shape and size. This will ensure that all the vegetables cook at the same rate, and that way you don’t end up with mushy carrots and rock-hard sweet potatoes.

Ginger Roasted Root Vegetables w/ Pecans
adapted from Food & Wine magazine

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced about 1 inch thick
4 medium to small carrots, peeled and sliced about 1 inch thick
1 container (8 oz) whole baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and halved
1 cup whole pecans
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger (about a 2 inch piece)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 /4 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup maple syrup
Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat the oven to 400F and brush a 13×9 inch baking dish with olive oil.

Combine the prepared vegetables in a large bowl along with the mushrooms and pecans. Add ginger, olive oil, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss all of the ingredients, coating the vegetables.

Add vegetables to the prepared baking dish, then drizzle with maple syrup. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon just before serving, if desired.

I know, I know. Beef is not good for the environment, but even I need a break from vegetarian cuisine. Plus, this was a deal at $2.40 almost a pound for pre-cut strips of beef and I had leftover BBQ sauce from the BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry. It starts with balance and small steps.

BBQ Beef Stir-Fry:
3/4 to 1 lb beef strips
8 oz sugar snap peas  
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup BBQ sauce (see below)

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat until soft. Set onions aside in a small bowl. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute 5-7 until almost soft and tender. Set aside in bowl with onions.

Add beef strips to skillet. Saute, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Add BBQ Sauce to pan, flip beef strips, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Bring BBQ Sauce to a simmer. Add onions and mushrooms back to pan and toss.  

Add sugar snap peas to top of BBQ mixture. Cover pan and allow sugar snap peas to steam for 3-5 minutes, then toss with sauce to combine. Serve any leftover sauce on the side for dipping.

BBQ Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard 
3/4 tsp salt, divided 
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a small saucepan, combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Whisk together and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes, until it has reduce by half.

Economically Friendly:Leftover BBQ Sauce put to good use! Onions and mushrooms are inexpensive, but sugar snap peas can be pricey. Look for sales or substitute with seasonal produce. Beef can also be expensive, so look for items close to the sell-by date for a reduced price.

Environmentally Responsible: Yes, beef is bad. Very, very bad. But just like diets, if you make foods “bad” or “forbidden,” you will only want them more. Use less and use less often, and at least you will make a small difference. Compromise by using seasonal, locally grown produce and other planet-friendly ingredients.

Excellently Healthy: Look for lean cuts of beef, increase the amount of veggies, and serve with brown rice or another whole grain for a complete meal.

One of the most popular recipes on the website is Moroccan Chicken Couscous, which I made last summer with a bounty of vegetables from the Farmer’s Market. The one thing I did not like about the dish is that the spices were very subtle, and the amounts probably needed to be increased for more flavor.

While searching for recipe ideas for Veganomics, I came across a recipe from Cooking Light magazine with tons of vegetables and spices with couscous, and decided to try it. I made several modifications to accommodate what I had on hand, and you could use just about any vegetables you like in this recipe. Chick peas would be a great substitution for the mushrooms, zucchini would also be excellent.

I did not peel the eggplant, though you certainly could if you find the skin too tough. Look for an eggplant with smooth, unblemished skin that weights about 1 pound. Larger eggplant can be bitter and have more seeds. The couscous I used is particularly flavorful: tricolor with sun-dried tomato and spinach flavors.

Vegetables simmering before addition of couscous:

Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous
adapted from Cooking Light

2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch of saffron threads (substitute turmeric if not available)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, about 1 lb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz each), undrained
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup orange juice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.  

Heat oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger, saute 2-3 minutes. Add spice mixture, eggplant, tomatoes with juice, carrots and cabbage; saute 3 minutes.

Add orange juice and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Summary:

Economically Friendly: The eggplant, which is often substituted for meat in dishes, was $0.99 per pound. Ground beef, however, was originally priced $4.39 per pound, and on sale was only reduced to $3.59 per pound. Pantry staples like canned tomatoes, chicken stock, garlic and onion didn’t break the bank either.

NOTE: Saffron is crazy-expensive, but I bought it months ago and haven’t used it, so I felt this was an appropriate time to get my money’s worth. Turmeric is a reasonably price substitution, and sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s saffron.”

Ecologically Responsible: Aside from avoiding the use of meat, this recipe can be adjusted to accommodate the vegetables currently in season. It is also an all-in-one meal, which reduces energy needs for cooking and the amount of dishes to be cleaned.

Excellently Healthy: Loaded with tons of veggies, plus spices for flavor, a generous 2 cup serving has approximately 300 calories. Adding chick peas would give it a boost of protein. Garlic, ginger, and cinnamon have all sorts of proven health benefits. I found this dish to be surprisingly filling and satisfying.

Here is a simple sauce, perfect for tossing with pasta, veggies, and chicken. The recipe originally came from Simply in Season, was a few tweaks courtesy of Jenn. I added red onions, mushrooms, and chicken breasts to turn this into a full meal. Be careful not to overcook the sauce, it could start to solidify.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz linguine pasta
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
2 tbsp butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook 2 minutes longer or until tender. Drain.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, red and green onions, and lemon peel and saute 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add chicken breasts to pan with lemon juice and turn heat to high. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through.

Meanwhile, add onion mixture to pan with pasta and snap peas. Beat milk and eggs together and to pan. Cook over very low heat until mixture is slightly thick, do not boil. Stir in dill, salt, and nutmeg. Toss cooked chicken breasts with pasta. Serve immediately.