Stuffed Bell Peppers with Roasted Potatoes & Eggplant Salsa

Thank you Maria, for creating this dish with me!



Ingredients:
5 red potatoes, diced large
1 T cooking oil
salt & pepper TT

1 T cooking oil
8 baby eggplants (or 2 Japanese eggplants), diced small
3 tomatillos, diced small
3 serrano chiles, diced small
salt TT
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 bu cilantro, chopped

1 T cooking oil
3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
1 bu kale (we used beautiful red kale)
2/3 lb. Portuguese longanisa sausage (or another sausage of your choice), diced or separated into chunks about 1/4" on a side
4 Japanese leeks (or 2 regular leeks, or 2 bunches of green onions), sliced
salt & pepper TT
1/2 bu cilantro, chopped

4 bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
olive oil
salt and pepper TT

Instructions:
[Roast the potatoes]:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes with the first 1 T cooking oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Set aside. Keep the oven on for the bell peppers.

[Make the salsa]:
2. In a large saute pan, heat the next 1 T cooking oil over high heat. Add the eggplant and allow to brown well for 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomatillos and chiles, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then add the lemon juice and cilantro, and season with salt to taste. Save the saute pan for the next step.

[Make the bell pepper filling]:
3. Heat the saute pan over medium-high heat and add the last 1 T oil. Add the kale and allow to wilt for 3-4 minutes. Add the corn and sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the leeks and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Allow to cool and add the cilantro.

[Assemble]:
4. Rub the peppers with a light coating of olive oil and season inside and out with salt & pepper. Stuff with the filling and roast for 8-10 minutes. Serve with the potatoes and eggplant salsa.