Spicy Stir-Fry

For a quick and easy inexpensive meal that tastes great, try this. Skip the hot sausage and you have a vegetarian meal or go with the regular flavor sausage and you avoid the spiciness, but do you really want a bland blah stir fry.

• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 2 links or more of Italian sausage or maybe kielbasa, cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 large spoon of chopped garlic or more or 2 - 3 cloves of garlic chopped
  
• 1/2 cup or so of sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 green pepper chopped

Dig out your large cast iron skillet, you need a cover for this one, so if you must, any type of covered fry pan. You ever notice how recipees always call for 2 TBS of oil for frying. I always guestimate the amount of oil to use, but you be the judge and use what you think is best. We are going to be frying sausage with the veggies, so we may not need the oil, but just in case, I am adding the oil.

After the oil goes in the frypan, add the rest of the above ingredients. You may want to fry these uncovered until the onions are translucent. You may think, I'm using a lot of garlic, well yes, and the the strong flavor will cook away, but remember garlic is good for the heart. Did you say, that was raw garlic. Well have a heaping spoonful each morning when you get up.

• 1 large potatoe or more chopped
• 2 carrots chopped or you can use shredded carrots
• 1 head broccoli chopped, I discard the stem, but you can chop it, if you like

Now that the onions are done, we add the rest of the ingredients. Stir them in, set the burner to simmer and cover. You may want to add some salt and pepper at this point and/or herbs if you so desire, but they won't be needed. Simmer for about 20 minutes, giving a stir once in awhile if you remember. We did not add any liquid to this, as all the necessary liquid will come out of the viggies. Actually, the veggies will be steamed, but won't taste like steamed stuff.

While this is cooking, make some rice or maybe rice pilaf. I don't think it's on the blog yet, but rice pilaf will soon be up on the blog. If you increase the quantitties that you are using, you could feed a whole bunkhouse of hungry workers.

Enjoy.

Before I leave, anyone could have thought this up, but I did, so it is here. It is an example of making something that is quick, inexpensive and can be done in one pan. The most expensive item is the sausage and we used about 1/2 package, so I figure the cost of this meal to be somewhere between $2 to $3 US dollars. I'd say not to bad for another great meal.

I'm a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!

I picked up this little gem at Marshals. Marshals is one of these stores that buy items from other stores that didn't sell as expected. So they generally have expensive items at real good prices.

This is a cast iron teapot, enamal coated to resist rust. It has a screen pocket for you to put your tea into. So it is a great item for making chinese tea or your herbal brews. I believe the origin on the teapot is chinese.