Hotbox Hipster

Aside from being wickedly colorful, this dish is wonderful for you, because it is loaded with antioxidant rich veggies and healthy fat from the olive oil.  yes, it could be lightened up a bit by using ‘yolk free’ egg noodles… but i usually just roll with plain old.  ‘And yes, there ARE healthier alternatives than the Turkey Kielbasa…. but honestly, it MAKES the dish here.  you will see what i mean when you cannot stop sneaking pieces of the crisped up discs off of the plate while you finish the dish! 🙂  when i wrote that last line, it occurred to me that i had blogged something with Kielbasa in the past where i warned you about the yum factor of these crispy pieces of meat.  i looked back, and it (linked the article) was quite similar to this dish i am about to blog, but a bit more fussy, as it used some red wine and tomato paste to give depth of flavor.  this one is a bit easier, and the perfect week night meal, with enough for a work lunch the next day.  anyway, here’s what’s up dude:

WHAT YOU NEED: 

two bell peppers of varying colors (not green tho)  – i used red and orange for this one.

one large onion

package of wide egg noodles

package of turkey kielbasa

15 oz can of diced tomatoes (i had the seasoned ones)

1/2 cup of water (can use some of the hot water from cooking pasta if you remember to reserve some)

your favorite spices (i used a few shakes of: chili powder, cumin, coriander, dried parsley, dried oregano and dried basil, and a big pinch of nutmeg)

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

i added about a cup of spinach leaves that i roughly chopped- i stirred these in at the end- totally optional- but i feel like it gave this one more bright fresh color, as well as adding wickedly good nutrients.  your call. (i always have a bag of spinach in my fridge because i put it on all of my sandwiches and burgers in place of lettuce)

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: 

get your egg noodles cooking according to package directions. drain, rinse and set aside. (scoop out a half cup of the water and set aside prior to draining)

slice or dice your two colorful bell peppers into whatever size you like.  peel your onion, cut it in half, and then thinly slice those halves. set aside with the peppers on a plate.  slice up the turkey kielbasa. thin but not too thin.  open your can of tomatoes.  get out the largest non stick skillet you have (i use a wok sometimes for this)  and hit it with some olive oil. start it up on high, and once it is hot, add in the kielbasa.  stir fry it until done to your liking (crispy edges) and remove to a plate.  add one more whirl of oil, and toss in the peppers and onions.  stir fry over medium-high heat until soft and looking yummy. while you are doing this, add in your spices right on top. cooking them intensifies their flavor. add salt and pepper last.  then go ahead and add in the tomatoes and the half cup of water. bring to light boil and reduce heat to low. stir the kielbasa back in, and add the spinach if you’re rolling with it.  stir around for a min and cut the heat. place the egg noodles in a LARGE bowl where you’ll combine everything. hit the noodles with a swirl of olive oil.  dump the mix right on top of the noodles.  Stir to combine all.  taste it. needs more salt or pepper? Add some.  At this point if the fam is ready to eat, serve it up.  If not, go ahead and add this back over into your big hot pan and toss a lid on that bitch.  You’re gonna love this dish. honest.

enjoy!!