Sweet Pepper Skillet

Liam's school concert Wednesday night at 6. First graders sang three songs. Liam was in the second row, third from the left. He mouthed the words more than sang them, which is on-brand for him. He was nervous about the whole thing for three days. Afterward he was proud and only wanted to know if I filmed it. I had filmed it. I showed him. He watched it twice.

I sent the video to Meghan, to Ma, to Patrick. I sent it to my phone album — the Sean album. He would have been there. He would have held Nora on his lap for the whole concert so that I could film. Instead I filmed with Nora on my lap and she whispered all the way through about which kid she recognized from last year.

Clinic was busy. End of year, everyone trying to get in. Shanice and I are both full-paneled. Dr. Rashid is rotating admin days. Wednesday I saw 12 patients in five hours — brisk. No one got short-changed, I think. I left tired.

Group Tuesday. Quieter tonight. Bernadette had us write one thing we want to say to our person and then she collected the papers and said she would not read them. She said they were for us. I wrote: I am doing okay most days. The kids are wonderful. I miss you. I love you. I put it in the envelope. I took it back when she handed them back at the end of group. I put it in the leather notebook at home.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. A dusting of snow overnight, the first of the season. Liam was elated. Nora was confused briefly and then elated. They went out after breakfast and made tiny snow-angels in the two-inch dusting.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made roasted chicken with 40 cloves of garlic — a fancy mood on her part. Dad was skeptical. Dad had seconds. Ma was smug.

Food of the week: roasted chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. A whole head of garlic (plus some). Whole chicken. Dutch oven. Thyme. Lemon. An hour ten minutes at 400. The garlic goes sweet.

Ma’s roasted chicken Sunday was the kind of meal that takes an hour and ten minutes and a whole Dutch oven and a very good mood — and I loved every bite of it, but it’s not a Wednesday-after-12-patients kind of dinner. Most nights I need something I can get on the table fast, something with color and warmth that still feels like I showed up for the kids. This sweet pepper skillet is that dinner: quick, bright, forgiving, and easy enough that I can make it while Nora is still talking about the snow angels.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
Fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Crusty bread or rice, for serving

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened and just beginning to turn golden.
Add the peppers. Add all three sliced bell peppers to the skillet. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and slightly caramelized at the edges.
Build the base. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the drained diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for 3–4 minutes.
Cook the eggs. Use a spoon to make four small wells in the pepper mixture. Crack one egg into each well. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still slightly soft, or to your preferred doneness.
Serve. Remove from heat, scatter fresh parsley or cilantro over the top, and bring the skillet straight to the table. Serve with crusty bread for scooping or over steamed rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Pepper Skillet — A Fast Dinner for the Nights You're Running on Empty