It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.
Today: Sweet, smoky roasted red peppers always taste better when made at home. Jodi from What's Cooking Good Looking shows us how.
Like most things, I tend to find that canned roasted red peppers never have quite the same taste that the homemade ones do. I always prefer to make my own at home if I have fresh red bell peppers available.
If you've done it before, you know how simple roasted red peppers are to prepare. It takes about 15 minutes of hand-ons work, and is well worth the effort. If you've never made roasted red peppers, I hope you will try making your own -- either the next time your recipe calls for them, or if you just want to have some around.
More: Feel like charring some more vegetables? Try baba ganoush.
Roasted red peppers have so many uses: You can throw them in salads or add them to sandwiches; you can use them as a pizza topping or in pasta dishes; or you can turn roasted red peppers into pesto, hummus, or soup.
I like to store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. They keep for 1 to 2 weeks, or you can also freeze them so you can be sure you always have delicious homemade roasted red peppers around.
Makes around 12 to 16 ounces
6 to 7 red bell peppers
1 to 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Place your rack toward the top of the oven, and then preheat the broiler.
Place the red peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, turning the peppers halfway through. You want your peppers to be completely charred (black) on the outside. Oven temperatures (especially broilers) vary, so be sure to keep an eye on them since some might cook faster or slower.
Remove the peppers from the oven, cover them with pieces of foil, and allow them to sit for about 20 minutes. This will essentially steam the peppers and make the skins much easier to remove.
Remove the foil, and make sure the peppers are cool enough to handle. Then, with a trash can nearby, remove the tops and and seeds of the peppers, along with the charred skin (which should peel off easily). Then, transfer the peppers to a cutting board and cut them into sizes that you like. I prefer long strips.
You have several options for storing your roasted red peppers if you don't want to use them right away. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge -- I like to store mine in a mason jar with a drizzle of olive oil, and they usually keep for 1 to 2 weeks. Or, you can freeze your roasted peppers in a freezer bag. They will keep for a couple of months in the freezer.
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Photos by Jodi Moreno.
Written by: Jodi Moreno
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19 Comments
First, while homemade red peppers are definitely best, improve bottled or canned peppers by sauteing them in olive oil and some garlic(optional).
Second, make ajvar with your roasted peppers. It's a condiment a Serbian friend's mother taught me. You can buy it in some markets but the commercial stuff is usually cut with eggplant or tomatoes or who knows what. After the peppers are roasted, unpeeled, and de-seeded, run them briefly through a blender or food processor. You don't want liquid peppers, leave them a little on the small chunky side for texture. Then put them in a pan with garlic, olive oil, and some salt and pepper and saute them until they done. How will you know they're done? While that's kind of a personal choice, you want the ajvar to be looser than a pesto or tapenade, but thicker than ketchup.
The best way to eat it is on a chunk of Italian bread. This stuff is heaven!
I hope my english is good enough, and i hope you try this little tricks, they are totally worth the efford.
http://justcrumbs.weebly.com/1/post/2013/09/roasting-peppers.html
Question: the peppers in the picture look more elongated compared to the traditional bell peppers. What variety is is?
Putting them in a shallow dish while they cool has the added advantage of catching the juices they release - which I pour over them in whatever container I'm going to freeze them in.
If you really want to go wild you can add some slivered garlic.
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