Recipe for Roasted TriColored Bell Peppers
A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, sweet bell peppers are the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world with their beautifully shaped glossy exterior that comes in a wide array of vivid colors ranging from green, red, yellow, orange, purple, brown to black. Despite their varied palette, all are the same plant, known scientifically as Capsicum annuum. They are members of the nightshade family, which also includes potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant. Sweet peppers are plump, bell-shaped vegetables featuring either three or four lobes. Green and purple peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, while the red, orange and yellows are sweeter. Paprika can be prepared from red bell peppers (as well as from chili peppers). Bell peppers are not ‘hot’. The primary substance that controls “hotness” in peppers is called capsaicin, and it’s found in very small amounts in bell peppers. Although peppers are available throughout the year, they are most abundant and tasty during the summer and early fall months.
Bell peppers are not only an excellent source of carotenoids, but also a source of over 30 different members of the carotenoid nutrient family. A recent study from Spain took a close look vitamin C, vitamin E, and six of these carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin) in all commonly eaten foods and found that only two vegetables contained at least two-thirds of all the listed nutrients. One of these foods was tomato, and the other was sweet bell pepper!
Ingredients
1 Large Red Pepper
1 Large Yellow Pepper
1 Large Orange Pepper
1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Basil
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
** Salt Lightly to Individual Taste
Preparation
1. Preheat Broiler (personally, I like using a Toaster Oven on the Broil Setting)
2. Cut Bell Peppers in half lengthwise, discarding the seeds. Cut into approximately 1/2 inch wide strips.
3. Combine Bell Peppers, Onions, Basil and Coconut Oil in a Bowl. Mix ingredients together by hand or with a wooden spoon, blending in Vinegar and Black Pepper.
3. Place Peppers, Onions and Basil on a foil-lined cooking sheet, flatten with hand.
4. Broil for 15 minutes or until slightly blackened.
5. Garnish with Cilantro.
Enjoy with another side dish or add to pasta!
About the author:
Derrick Walker is an advocate of holistic health and believes in cultivating a healthy lifestyle. Derrick has spent the past twenty years managing and connecting disparate systems and building comunity on the internet. He has consulted to, such giants of these industries as: I.B.M.; Syntel, Ford ; Yamaha; Intuit Software; Warner Bros, Universal Studios, and Siebel to name just a few. Derrick currently manages an internet media consultancy and produces health and technology events.
Derrick@ThankYou-Online.com
