“It’s just like that, but different!” When was the last time you had street fair or carnival sausages with red bell peppers and onions? This dish is very much like that – but different. And by different, I mean better.
Red bell peppers, onions, AND the addition of fennel bulb makes a word of flavor difference. These three ingredients sauteed by themselves is a savory satisfying vegetarian (and vegan!) side dish. With an added protein (the ubiquitous sausage, or better yet, sauteed shrimp, baked or poached chicken breast, or keeping it vegetarian with a spicy tofu) you’ll have a complete meal.
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
It looks like it’s going to be a bumper crop of peaches and cherries this year (if the birds and ants don’t eat them first)!
We had our garden tilled and this coming week we’ll lay down the irrigation hoses. Welcome to garden 2024.
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Sauteed Red Bell Pepper, Onion and Fennel Bulb
Ingredients
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 very large yellow onion (or 3 small)
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes or powder
- Optional: 1/2-pound shrimp, OR 1 large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast, OR 2 sweet or spicy Italian sausages
Directions
- De-seed the bell pepper and cut it into approximately 1-inch pieces. Peel the onion and dice it into approximately 1-inch pieces. Remove the core from the fennel bulb and chop it into approximately 1-inch pieces. You’ll want all of the vegetables cut to the same size to ensure even cooking
- Add the vegetables to a large sauté pan along with the olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, salt, and chili flakes. Mix well with a spoon and heat to medium heat and covered with a lid. The lid will help the vegetables cook more quickly. Stir several times throughout the cooking process. About 15 minutes
- Remove the lid and raise the heat to medium high and continue to sauté until the vegetables start to char in some places, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to encourage even charring. If the vegetables stick too much in the pan, drizzle in extra olive oil
- If using shrimp: While the vegetables are sauteing, prepare the shrimp by peeling, de-veining, and heating them in a small sauté pan until they turn from gray and translucent to pink and opaque. As soon as they are cooked remove from the heat and set aside. Toss the shrimp with the vegetables once they are charred and thoroughly cooked through
- If using chicken: Either bake the breast in a 375F (190C) oven for approximately 35 minutes, or poach it following the instructions per the link in the headnotes. Once cooked, cube the chicken and add it to the vegetables. The cooked chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 165F (74C)
- If using sausage: Heat in a 400F (200C) oven for 15 – 20 minutes (the internal temperature of the sausage should be 165F (74C)
Greg Nelson Cooks 