Roasted Bell Peppers Seeped in Olive Oil
Roasted bell peppers are probably one of the easiest vegetarian dishes to make, and adds vibrant colour as well as enticing smokey sweet aroma to any meal. I adore the sweet, almost fruit-like taste of red and yellow peppers, but will have nothing to do with the bitter green peppers. Tossing a handful of colourful peppers into a meal feels almost like painting with vegetables, and these shiny ornaments of the nightshade family also come gifted with plenty of health benefits.
Bell peppers, incredibly, belong to the same vegetable family as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Although not spicy, early Spanish explorers mistakenly named these bell-shaped beauties after red peppers because of their similar appearances. Today, paprika, a common spice, can be made both from bell peppers as well as hot red peppers. The earliest records show bell peppers being farmed in Central and South America some 9000 years ago. Not only are bell peppers delicious, they are also rich in carotenoid nutrients (such as vitamins B, C, and E), antioxidants, anti-flammatory phytonutrients, bone-building manganese and magnesium, as well as sulfur components important in anti-cancer properties.
I love roasting red and yellow bell peppers to further enhance its sweetness. The smokey vegetables are great in sandwiches, salads, pizzas or enjoyed simply with a dash of olive oil and a dusting of salt and pepper.
What you’ll need:
- 1 bell pepper (red / yellow)
- 1 tbls of olive oil
- a pinch of salt & pepper
- aluminium foil
Wash bell pepper and dry well. Wrap the bell pepper snugly in a sheet of aluminium foil. On medium heat, place the wrapped bell pepper directly on to a gas burner.
It will take 20 minutes to fully roast the pepper. Using heat-proof tongs, rotate the pepper on the flame every 5 minutes to cook evenly.
After 20 minutes, the pepper should be soft and charred on the outside. Be careful to unwrap the foil slowly as the escaping steam is very hot!
Use a towel or paper towel to peel off the skin.
Cut the pepper lengthwise – remove the cap and seeds and julienne into long strips.
Drizzle with olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Voila! Bon Appetit!
