Greek Style Summer Sausage Pasta Salad

This salad is based on this recipe I found online: Summer Sausage Pasta Salad Recipe.  The only differences are that I altered the proportions slightly, changed the black olives to kalamata olives, and I added cucumber and feta cheese.

Ingredients: 

• 10 oz summer sausage 
• 7 oz  pitted kalamata olives, drained and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 small purple onion, diced
• 6 oz Italian dressing
• 12 oz spiral pasta
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
• 1 medium or 2 small cucumbers, cut into small pieces
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Combine all ingredients but the tomatoes and the pasta in a sealed container and let sit in the fridge over night.  Boil the pasta and rinse it with cold water, and combine that with everything else adding the tomatoes as well.  Enjoy right away, or let sit in the fridge for a while.

Stuffed Breakfast Peppers

Links: primary inspiration for this concoction, secondary inspiration, Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning).

Indredients

• 2 large bell peppers
• Several tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium potato - diced
• 1/8 cup onion - diced
• 1/2 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms - diced
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon plain yogurt
• 1 cup shredded cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons Essence*

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Prepare bell peppers by cutting them in half lengthwise, and then removing seeds and ribs being careful to leave the stem intact (this helps the pepper hold more).
• Roast the bell peppers, open side down, on an oiled baking pan.
• Saute the veggies, starting with the potatoes, and adding the mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  Season the potatoes with Essence.
• Whip up the eggs with the yogurt, then add the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
• Once the bell peppers come out of the oven flip them over, and then scoop 1/4 of the sauteed veggie mixture into each bell pepper half.
• Pour 1/4 of the egg and cheese mixture over the veggie mixture in each bell pepper half.
• Sprinkle 1/8 cup shredded cheese over top of each bell pepper half.
• Return to the oven, and bake for approximately 35 minutes.
• Let cool a little bit, and enjoy!

*Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme