Roasting peppers is an easy way to add flavor to dishes. Blacken peppers on a broiler or stovetop, chill in a paper bag, remove seeds and skin by hand, and marinate in olive oil and garlic for an appetizer or add to soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes. Homemade roasted peppers are better than store-bought.
Fresh red and yellow peppers are delicious on their own, but when transformed by flame into roasted peppers, they become magnificent. Roasted peppers are the novice cook’s best trick, one that isn’t forgotten even by cooks rising in greatness. Nothing is easier than roasting peppers and even people who tend to burn anything they try to cook will succeed with these. They make perfect pre-dinner nibbles pampered with little toasties or crackers as part of an appetizer, are welcome in almost any soup, and add a bright red ribbon to casseroles and pasta dishes.
Roasted red peppers in a jar are available in most grocery stores these days, but making them at home is so easy that, when red and yellow peppers are plentiful, this is the way to go. Roasting is synonymous with charring here, and that’s the catch. The peppers are blackened on a broiler or stovetop on all sides, then placed in a paper bag to chill the beads.
Once they’re sweaty, it’s easy to tear off the stem and drain any liquid and seeds inside. Some cooks will be tempted to remove the remaining seeds and remove the charred skin under running water, but they will lose a lot of flavor in the process. It’s best to take an extra minute and remove the seeds and skin by hand.
For appetizer toppers, simply marinate roasted peppers in good-quality olive oil and garlic for about an hour. This combination can also be whipped in a mini food processor to create a spreadable paste. The oil-dried olives add a great bass note, and some fresh basil brightens the flavors.
Roasted red and yellow peppers add some goodness and lots of yum to soups. Cut into very thin strips to swirl over the soup, they form a refined side dish to be added just before serving. Black bean soup with a dollop of sour cream and a side of chili is perfect for a winter’s day. The smart cook knows roasted chili and tomato soup is a snap with a blender.
Chicken and rice casseroles hit flavor fever with the addition of roasted peppers. Red sauces for pasta become silky and the smallest dessert smoky when red and yellow peppers join the party. Turkey tetrazzini, potatoes and quiche light up with the subtle flavors of intertwined roasted peppers.
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