Nancy and Jim Berlo put their imaginations to work when they cook for family and friends.
“Jim and I were only 20 years old, poor and in college when we married,” writes Nancy Berlo from Alpharetta, Georgia. “I had learned basic kitchen tools and measurements from my mother, but mostly it was ‘on the job training’ for me at first.
“I did most of the meal planning and prep work for 35 years, raising two children in the process. Jim became intrigued with cooking during the ’70s. He started helping me with the chopping, then the sautéing and gradually he began doing more and more of the meal preparation.
“Nowadays, we both enjoy the creativity of coming up with new and different flavors and dishes,” says Nancy. “Some of our recipes are attempts to imitate what we’ve enjoyed elsewhere; some are from our imagination, like Italian Sausage and Rice.”
This one-skillet dish from Nancy is fast and flavorful.
Preheat oven to 350°. Take the peas out of the freezer so they will be thawed by the time you need them. If you’re using MINCED GARLIC cover it with 1 TB. water and let stand while browning the sausage. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan with a cover over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate; they will be only partly done. In the same skillet, sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Then, add the garlic and rice and sauté for a few minutes to coat with the oil, stirring often.
Add the SOUP BASE and enough water to the reserved tomato juice to make 2 Cups. Add the liquid, tomatoes and CAJUN SEASONING to the skillet. Place the sausages in the skillet. Cover and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Mix in the peas during the last 10 minutes of baking. Taste and add more CAJUN SEASONING if desired. Remove the sausages from the skillet, and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Add back to skillet. Mix and serve.
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Nutritional Information: Servings 5;
Serving Size 1 1/2 cups (412g); Calories 390; Calories from fat 130; Total fat 14g; Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 840mg; Carbohydrate 50g; Dietary Fiber 5g.
