How to Roast Bell Peppers

There are many different techniques for roasting bell peppers, but this is my favorite. It's simple and pretty hands-off, and consistently produces perfectly roasted peppers. I use the broiler to roast the peppers, but don't place the peppers too close to the broiler, so the entire flesh roasts by the time the skin is charred. 

To keep roasted peppers on hand, I like to freeze them after roasting. Lay the skinned, roasted peppers out on a sheet tray, place in the freezer until frozen through, then place in a baggie for freezer storage. Individually freezing them this way means you can easily grab however many you need for a given recipe.

While I was taking photos of the pretty red peppers on the deck, Cooper thought they smelled good and was sure they were for him (dog logic: things on the floor belong to the dog!). He was disappointed that I wouldn't let him eat them. 

How to Roast Bell Peppers
You will need: 
Bell peppers
Knife
Baking sheet
Oven with broiler

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the middle of your oven. Turn on your broiler (to high, if it has different settings). Let it heat for a few minutes while you prepare your peppers.
2. Wash your bell peppers. Cut each in half, and remove the stem, seeds, and white membrane.

 

3. Arrange the peppers, cut side down, on your baking sheet.
4. Place the peppers in the oven, and broil for 10 minutes, or until the skins have plenty of charred spots on them.

5. Remove the peppers from the oven, then place in a container with a lid. Seal the container closed; this traps the steam in with the peppers, which makes them easier to peel.

6. Peel the outer skin off the pepper. Use as desired, or freeze for later use.

 

I'm saving these peppers for a pasta salad that I'll post next week, but here are a few recipes other that use them: quinoa salad, and muhammara.  These are also a great addition to hummus, and I love them sliced up on top of pizza.

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Meatless Mondays: Roasted Eggplant and Tempeh

Roasted eggplant is one of those foods I never get tired of. I like oven-roasted veggies in general, like these potatoes, but eggplant probably tops the list. This recipe pairs a sweet and garlicy sauce with some simple roasted ingredients for a dinner that's big on flavor but not on fussy. 

Tempeh is a vegan protein source made from fermented grains, usually including soybeans. It has a nutty taste that mixes well with roasted veggies. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, and it's both organic and affordable - look for it near the tofu.

Unlike most of my other Meatless Mondays series posts, this one takes a bit longer, because the veggies have to roast. I'd allow an hour or so for preparing and cooking this dish.

This dish is vegan-possible, because the feta cheese I used on top is not vegan, but the rest of the dish is vegan.  Simply omit the cheese or use a vegan substitute.

Roasted Eggplant and Tempeh
I used butternut squash here, cubed and frozen when squash was in-season. You can substitute the squash of your choice, or sweet potatoes. Be sure to cut the vegetables and tempeh to similar sized chunks (about 1 inch cubes), so they cook evenly. Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 8-oz package tempeh, cubed
Zest of one orange
Juice of one orange
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Combine eggplant, butternut squash, and tempeh in a large mixing bowl. Combine orange zest and juice, salt, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and maple syrup in a smaller bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour about 2/3 of this sauce over the vegetable mixture, and toss to combine.
3. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, arrange the vegetable mixture in an even layer. Bake about 30 minutes, stir, and bake 15 to 30 minutes longer, until it begins to turn golden brown.
4. Place the roasted mixture into a large serving dish, drizzle with the remaining sauce, and top with the cilantro and feta cheese. Serve family-style. Enjoy!

Roasted Tri-Color Potatoes

This is a riff on a Joy of Cooking recipe for oven french "fries".  We picked up a bag of pretty tri-colored potatoes at Trader Joe's last week, and I've been trying to come up with something fun to showcase their colors. I intentionally picked a bag with mostly purple potatoes...big surprise! (Purple is my favorite color.)

I was craving roasted potatoes, and this recipe makes perfectly roasted, browned potatoes - totally satisfying. I call for 2 tbsp of oil, because that is the amount the original recipe used, but I probably could have used only one tablespoon.

You could certainly make this recipe using red-skinned potatoes, small yellow potatoes, or whatever other kind of potato you like.

Roasted Tri-Color Potatoes
Yield: probably 4 servings as a side (but we demolished these, so 2 servings as dinner)

INGREDIENTS
About 1 lb potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices, and soak in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes, and pat them dry on paper towels.  Toss with the oil, and arrange on a baking sheet. (I used a silpat liner, but I don't think that it was necessary.)
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring/flipping two or three times while they bake. They should be beautifully golden brown and crispy when they are done.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

We ate these over some steamed broccoli, topped with shredded cheddar cheese. I will definitely be making potatoes this way again!

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