Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice

 

I love to cook, and I love to eat.  I worked as a Personal Chef for a number of years for a very wealthy American Family here in the UK, where every meal had to be a production.  

I didn't mind.  It gave me the opportunity to stretch, and it was what I was being paid to do.  It was the dream job in many ways for the consummate foodie.

 

To be honest however, it is not how I like to eat and cook in my personal life.  

With the exception of Special Occasions, I want to cook  . . . and I enjoy . . . simplicity.  Less is more in my kitchen. 

 

I prefer simple ingredients, put together quickly, easily and in a delicious way. You can call me lazy if you want to, but it truly is what works best for me. 

 I don't want to spend hours and hours in the kitchen cooking . . .  or cleaning up! 

 

For most of my every day cooking meals like this Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice work well for me.  

Its the type of thing I like to cook and to eat. 

 

Simple, honest and, yes  . . .  delicious.  Quick too!  Meals like this get me in and out of the kitchen in a short period of time.

 

Polish Sausage (smoked sausage) is one of the main ingredients.  

I adore the smokiness and spiciness of a good polish sausage and yes . . .  the hit of garlic.  It is just so good! 

 

In this simple dish polish sausage rounds are lightly browned in a bit of olive oil and then combined with some fresh garlic for even more of a garlic hit!  

Don't worry it's not too much, not too much at all. (Be careful not to let your garlic brown or burn. It will turn bitter.)

 

After that you simply add some basmati rice, chicken stock and a bit of seasoning.  

Brought to the boil and then simmered, within about 20  minutes, your dish is almost done. 

 

All you need to do now is to stir in some frozen baby peas, chopped spring onions and chopped parsley. 

 

The heat from the dish, helps to thaw the peas and slightly cooks them without causing them to lose that beautiful green colour . . .

 

It also takes any harshness out of the spring onions, leaving you just with a lovely light onion flavour that is not obnoxious in the least. 

   

Parsley adds even more lovely green colour and contrast.  Oh but this is some delicious.  We love it! You can also successfully cut the recipe in half if you wish. 

Yield: 5 - 6Author: Marie Rayner

Skillet Sausage, Peas & Rice

prep time: 15 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 35 mins

Meals like this all in one pan skillet sausage, peas and rice make for a really delicious, quick and easy mid-week supper.  All you need on the side is perhaps a salad and for the heartier eaters, some crusty bread!

ingredients:

• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 pound polish (smoked) sausage (kielbasa) sliced into 1/4 inch thick coins
• 710ml chicken stock (3 cups)
• 315g basmati rice (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules (not salt)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• salt as needed
• 225g frozen petit pois (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 spring onions, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet (with a lid).  Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns on the edges.  Add the garlic. Cook and stir for a minute or so longer, until fragrant. (Don't let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.)  Add the chicken stock, rice, garlic granules and pepper.  Stir and bring to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.  Stir in the frozen peas, spring onions and parsley.  Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes then serve.  (Don't worry, the peas thaw out beautifully and semi-cook during this time.)

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All you really need on the side is a nice tossed salad and for the really big eaters some crusty bread.  It always goes down a real treat.  Delicious and it gets you in and out of the kitchen in about half an hour or so tops!  Win/win!