Sorry about the title…I just couldn’t resist. For some reason, I felt a little nostalgic today, and had that old Dr. Pepper jingle playing in my head all day long. And, since I knew I was going to write a post about peppers today, well, I can only say that the song just got the best of me…
This was one of my favorite things to eat growing up, and can I just tell you that it makes your house smell AMAZING as the peppers roast in the oven. It is a very versatile side dish, and would be perfect as an antipasto on a serving plate with cold cuts, olives & cheese, and just as delicious in a sandwich with other grilled or roasted vegetables, a great accompaniment on top of a salads and perfect diced up in pasta or rice for a simple and light vegetarian meal. You can also cook them on the grill, if you prefer, but I prefer making them in the oven so that I can savor all of those delicious smells wafting through the house as they cook.
It had been a while since I had made them, so when I found these beautiful thick skinned peppers at the market this week, I knew that they were just going to have to be on my menu over the weekend. Once you make them, let them marinate for one day (if you can wait that long) before you dig in, and all of the flavors just come together beautifully. I hope that you have a chance to try them, and if you do, let me know what you think…
***An original recipe from www.goodfoodgourmet.com
Roasted Peppers
12 large peppers, either red, green or yellow
½ cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, pressed
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Wash the peppers well and cut around the stem. Cut the pepper in half and remove all of the seeds. Spray a large pan with a good quality pan release and add the peppers to the pan, cut side up. Drizzle liberally with ¼ cup of the olive oil and place into the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the oven every 15 minutes, and each time you do, turn the peppers over until both sides have taken on some nice color and are evenly roasted. While they are cooking in the oven, start preparing your dressing. Add the other ¼ cup of oil to a small frying pan and add all of the pressed garlic to the pan. Sautee gently for a few minutes and be careful not to burn the garlic. Once you have cooked the garlic, add in the vinegar then remove from the heat and set aside. Once you have taken the peppers out of the oven, allow them to cool. Once cooled, you can remove the skins at this point, if you prefer…they will come off very easily. We could never wait that long, and never did that at home. Have a large plastic container and matching lid ready, so that once you finish layering them, you can store them in the fridge. Once cool, add one layer of peppers into the container, then drizzle with the dressing and add a little salt and pepper. Add another layer and repeat with the dressing and salt and pepper. Continue this process until you finish all of the peppers. If you have any dressing left over, just pour it on top. Cover this with the lid and store in the refrigerator…next day enjoy them any way you want!
www.goodfoodgourmet.com
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