By We presented preliminary findings to Dr. Landry and the full research team this week — just the interns, in the small conference room with the air conditioning that was set too cold, each of us summarizing our piece of the project. I talked about the soil core anomalies at Station 4, where we're seeing a measurable reduction in organic matter density over the three-year period that correlates with a 23% increase in detected phosphate levels upstream. I had made a chart. Dr. Landry asked three sharp questions after my presentation and I answered two fully and partially answered the third and she said, "The partial answer is the next paper." I wrote that down.
The intern cohort is becoming something real. Soo-Yeon organized a lunch this week at a Cajun place near campus where we ate red beans and rice and talked for two hours about what we each want to do after school. Deja wants field research and doesn't care where. Tomás wants to work on water policy, specifically in Louisiana where the politics of water are particularly complicated. Soo-Yeon is going to law school and wants to practice environmental law. Marcus wants to build a nonprofit focused on environmental justice in Gulf Coast communities. I said I wanted to understand the science thoroughly enough to write about it in a way that people who don't already care about it would care about it. Marcus pointed his fork at me and said, "That's the most useful thing at this table."
Mama made stuffed bell peppers this week. She hollows the peppers, fills them with seasoned ground beef and rice, tops them with tomato sauce, and bakes them until the peppers are soft and the filling is set and the whole thing smells like Tuesday evening in August when school is still a month away and there's no urgency about anything. The stuffed pepper smell is not technically a season but it is a season.
Mama’s stuffed bell peppers have been living in my head all week — the way the smell of them baking announces something specific and unhurried, like a whole season compressed into one dish. I couldn’t recreate her recipe exactly on a weeknight after a long day of writing up soil core data, but this chicken sausage and peppers skillet hits that same warm, savory note and comes together fast enough that I could eat at a reasonable hour and still feel like I’d done something right. Marcus said understanding something well enough to make other people care about it is the most useful thing — I think that applies to dinner, too.
Chicken Sausages With Peppers
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken sausage links, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Soften the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and all three bell peppers. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes.
- Add garlic and seasoning. Stir in the minced garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine and finish. Return the browned sausage to the skillet and toss everything together. Cook for 2–3 minutes more until the sausage is heated through and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve over rice, with crusty bread, or on its own.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 620mg