10 CUP RICE COOKER

"I Made This........"137"

This recipe was adapted from one I saw in Food Network Magazine in December.

Ummm...I did not exactly find this to be quick. Quick is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Maybe it is quick in a Food Network Kitchen with a staff of 20 chefs to prep ingredients for you.

The original recipe called to one carrot, and one rib of celery. This year, Cooking Light Magazine is dedicating a number of pages of each issue to twelve steps to a healthier you. January included "eat more veggies". I wanted it to be chunkier anyway, as that is a common theme with my cooking, and so I upped the quantity of veggies.

The original recipe called for rosemary as the herb. Really?? One herb...in Italian cooking? I added thyme, basil, oregano, and majoram. Turns out herbs and most spices are loaded with anitoxidants. The more the better and the more complex the flavour. This is Italian, after all!!

Chop half of a thing of celery into thin slices. Chop shredded carrot to equal two cups. Dice one large onion. Mince four tablespoons garlic.

Heat olive oil in a pan, and add the above ingredients. Saute over medium heat until softened. Add one 28oz. can of crushed tomato, plus fresh or dried Italian parlsey, basil. marjoram, thyme, oregano, and rosemary, plus fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Heat on medium low for about 45 minutes to one hour. Add one cup half and half and let simmer about 10 minutes more.

Place 1 1/4 pounds of ground turkey in a pan, season with sea salt and cracked pepper, cook until done, and let drain in a colander.

Bring a large pot of water with salt added to a boil, add one pound fettuccine and cook under done. Drain.

Add the sauce, and the turkey to the fettuccine, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with chopped Italian flat leafed parsley (loaded with antioxidents) and some shredded parmesan cheese. Or pecorino romano cheese if you prefer.

A note on cheese. The harder the cheese, the less fat it has. Italian cheeses like parmesan and pecorino are some of the lowest fat cheeses available. And some of the best tasting too, in my humble opinion. And cheese contains calium and other vital nutrients. Healthy eating does not require you to abandon foods like cheese. It just means being informed and making wise choices.

Made this for the second time tonight. I got the recipe from the Quick Cooking cookbook. Below is the official recipe. I deviate from it slightly by using Butterball Turkey Kielbasa and cutting the peppers and sausage up into smaller pieces.


Kielbasa Pepper Pasta

1-1/2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1-1/2 teaspoons butter
1/2 pound fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the peppers and onion in butter until tender. Add the sausage, salt and pepper; cook and stir until sausage is heated through.

Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss to coat. Yield: 2 servings.