HOT Valentine's Dinner.

Hope everyone had a great Vday! We had lots of snow and lots of fun. I made a special meal it from all the leftovers from Thursday night's snow storm pizza party. My version of sausage and peppers with multi grain spaghetti, hot cherry peppers and sauce. The cheat for Vday was sausage. I haven't had sausages in a very long time but I checked the ingredients and I did not fry them. I baked them on a broiler pan so the fat could drip into the pan. I made my usual bread - soda bread using whey from my yogurt making - that whey really makes the bread so crispy on the outside and moist inside. Really makes a difference. Had some red wine and chocolate truffles for dessert. All this food was filling but I did not feel gross and lazy after because it was all clean, healthy food. I weighed myself the next morning and I had actually lost 2 pounds.

This meal was really good and kind of hot, a great meal for Valentine's Day. Since the meat and veggie were going to be hot I toned down the sauce a little. When mixed together, it was prefect.

Hot Sausage and Peppers
one large green pepper, thin slices
one large onion, thin slices
half a bunch of spinach
4 sausages
2 hot cherry peppers, sliced

one 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 c fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c of onion, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt and black pepper to taste
6 oz of Barilla multi grain thin spaghetti

SAUSAGES: Pre heat oven 450 degrees. Put the sausages on a broiler pan so the fat can drip into the pan underneath (put foil on the lower pan for easy clean up). Put sausages in the oven and bake for 30 mins checking and flipping every 10 mins. Once they are done, take them out and set them aside on a plate to cool. Then cut into slices. SAUCE: heat oil in a pot, add garlic, stir, then add onion. Pour in the crushed tomatoes once the onions become translucent. Stir. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer. Lower heat and cover. SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS: In a large sauce pan, heat some oil. Add peppers and onions and let them cook. Add a little water in the pan if it gets dry. Stir and watch. Cook veggies until tender. Add the sausage, spinach and hot cherry peppers. Stir and let cook for a few more minutes. PASTA: Boil the water for the pasta. Cook for 7 mins. Strain and place in a bowl and toss some sauce in. SERVE: Put pasta on the plate with extra sauce on top. Sausage and peppers on the side. Enjoy! Click here for the bread recipe. Click here for truffle recipe. These truffles were coconut, peanut butter, and chocolate.