Chicken Sausage and Veggie Skillet

Veggies and protein. That's been my go to lately, though I'm not going to call myself a follower of the Keto diet. Instead, I'm just sticking to basics. Ever since trying a skillet recipe at a friend's house, I've been hooked on veggies cooked with some seasoning with some meat tossed in. Sounds so simple but it is so good.

I think it's the red onion that really hit me the first time I had it; I usually buy white onion, but red has a stronger flavor and when cooked, is phenomenal. I'm definitely an onion person - throw it on a burger and I'm a happy lady.

The dish originally came from a meal prep kit, believe it or not. There are a plethora of those now, and I don't buy them, but I have had the chance to try a few (the day one of my friends let me try grilling cheese was fantastic). I more try to cook a big meal once or twice a week and feed off of it. Besides, as a hippie deep down, the idea of all the tiny single use baggies for one meal horrifies me!

But back to the food. This can be made with just about any vegetable, but my picks this time around were red onion, zucchini, and brussels sprouts. I've made a few varieties now, and have also used tomatoes and carrots. This is kind of like a stir fry without the pasta.

Better yet, you don't even really need to use oil for this. I mean, you certainly can, and I have, but now I just put about 1/4 cup of water in the pan when I cook the veggies. I add in garlic (naturally), paprika, crushed red pepper, and a little salt and pepper.

Depending on if the sausage is raw or cooked, I either cut that up and throw it in there or cook it first and then add it. I do throw in a jalapeno or cayenne pepper as well on occasion, but that's gonna vary by the taster's preference. I've been told one teaspoon of crushed red pepper is a lot in a soup recipe that made 6 cups worth, so believe me spice levels are so varying I won't pretend to keep up.

Easy weeknight perfection. I mean come on, roughly chopping up some veggies and throwing in some sausage is just about as simple as it gets. Increase spice as desired, and enjoy a basic but fantastic dinner. And isn't it pretty?

I know what you're thinking. "Em, you're getting so boring! Where's the weird cookies?" Listen, baking specialty goods means eating specialty baked goods and we need some balance here. Besides, if I can make some better-for-you but still fantastical dinners, who can complain?

Chicken Sausage and Veggie Skillet Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cooking oil (or use 1/4 cup water)
1 red onion, chopped into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced garlic 
2 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch size pieces
1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved and stemmed
1 cayenne pepper, sliced (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4-5 Italian sausages, sliced (I used chicken)

Instructions:

Cook sausage in a pan with 1-2 tablespoons cooking oil, until cooked throughout. Slice and set aside. Chop onion and zucchini into large chunks. Add remaining oil to skillet and add onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until onion begins to soften. Add Brussels sprouts, zucchini, pepper, and seasonings and stir well. Continue cooking for about 4-5 more minutes, until zucchini is fork tender. Stir in sausage and serve.