Italian Sausage, Peppers and Mushrooms over Pasta - perfect to get back on plan

Hello friends! Sorry about the abandonment my blog has suffered! I just moved from an apartment to our new house and these days have just been too hectic and busy! Packing, unpacking, cleaning, etc... But it's all worth it! We're thankful, excited, happy and a bit scared like with every change!

Now if you are a Trim Healthy Mama like me... I will tell you some "THM related things ahead" if you're not... you can skip all my ranting/venting and go directly to the recipe! This is an "On plan" recipe but ANYBODY can enjoy it! If you love the recipe... then come back to learn more about this plan that is designed to help you improve your health, lose weight and enjoy food freedom!

Now... so... let's see some of the discoveries I made during this move and that I will share just for the sake of "keeping it real" and to show you that we are all on the same boat... yes this plan is easier for some than it is for others but it is definitely doable for everyone!

• I don't do very good with food when moving! I totally went off plan just because "I felt like it"... I just wanted to eat, eat and eat! I had lots of ice cream too!
• I am not like one of those people who find "sugar loaded things" horrible after they've been on plan for a while... ice cream tasted just as good as ever! (maybe even better? Don't know!)
• I could've totally stayed on plan if I had planned ahead... now... I don't plan on moving again but if it ever happens I will make sure I plan, cook and freeze meals ahead of time!
• Now... this is not "news" to me... but I will share it again! all that "off plan" food was definitely not worth it... Not only my shape is suffering the consequences but also my skin, mood and my poor stomach! I won't even go into details!

But the good news! This plan is for life... so ... we just pick up where we left off! After eating the way I did it's comforting to know that I can have fried eggs and bacon for my "first meal" when on plan again! And that's what I did! Don't "punish yourself" for going off plan! That's the problem with many diets! After you "sin" then you have to suffer through horrible "cleanses" or you feel like you should now eat less than 1400 calories a day and you spend your days eating "rabbit food" just because "you deserve it" for being such a bad girl! Who can live like that though? that "punishment" only makes you want to be "a bad girl" again and binge! That's not the case with THM! You can have really yummy, satisfying food that will make you realize you didn't even need to go off plan to begin with! So... that's my focus right now that I am on plan again! I am pretty much cooking Comfort Food "THM Style" and that's what I will be sharing with you today!

I am also making lots of delicious THM Smoothies with their amazing Pristine Whey Protein! I had been pacing myself when using it because it was out of stock but it's back along with all their amazing sweeteners (my favorite is their pure stevia extract) and their yummy peanut flour! You can find it all here:

Trim Healthy Mama Store 

And now... The recipe I promised: 

Italian Sausage, Peppers and Mushrooms over "Pasta" (S)
Yield: 4 generous servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. raw mild -or hot- (I use mild so my children can eat) Italian sausage (I use jennie-o Lean Turkey Italian Sausage)
• 1/2 large white onion (chopped)
• 1 large green bell pepper (seeded and cut into chunks)
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano 
• 1/2 a can (14 oz.) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (undrained) - you can also use regular diced tomatoes.
• 1/4 tsp. salt (I use Himalayan Salt)- or to taste -
• roughly chopped fresh basil for garnish (optional)
• Grated/Shredded Parmesan Cheese For topping

Directions for Stove Top:

• Using a large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausages and turn occasionally making sure all sides are browned (this will take about 10-12 minutes). Stir in the oregano and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, add the garlic, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, season with salt, reduce heat to low and let it all simmer together while you cook the pasta (or cauliflower)

Directions for slow cooker: (I would double the recipe for the slow cooker)

• Using a large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausages and turn occasionally making sure all sides are browned (this will take about 10-12 minutes). Stir in the oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes with the juices, mushrooms and add some water (about 1/4 a cup), salt; simmer for 3 minutes.

In the bottom of a slow cooker arrange ONLY half of the onion-pepper mixture and then cover with half of the sausages and their sauce, cover with the rest of the onion-pepper mixture to form another layer and top it all with the rest of the sausage/sauce. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low.

Now... "The Pasta"

Instead of Pasta I use (for myself) steamed cauliflower (and then slightly "crushed" with a Potato Masher), while still hot I add some butter, garlic powder and salt to taste. I also use Roasted Spaghetti Squash (buttered as well and with garlic powder and salt)

For non-purists (I am not necessarily a purist but I am not fond of Frankenfoods if I can avoid them) but you could use 1 serving of Dreamfields Pasta) and still keep it an "S"

For a crossover for my family I use my very favorite (not-franken food) Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta but that's an E so if you are going to use it with this stew it would be a crossover (great for you but not weight loss inducing)  
 
Right before serving remove the sausage links from your stew and cut them on a cutting board (carefully, they are hot!), return them to the skillet or slow cooker and stir! Serve your "pasta", top with the Italian sausage and garnish with fresh basil (optional). Top with grated parmesan!

Enjoy!!!

Now... I can't promise I'll be blogging again too often too soon.... another discovery I made is that I don't actually have a desk! Our apartment had built in desks and shelves so I am typing right now with the computer on my dresser in my bedroom using a chair from my dining set... trust me... it's as uncomfortable as it sounds!

I'll be back as soon as I can!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.