When It’s Okay to Burn Your Food
Oct 10, 2014, Updated Aug 13, 2017
On many nights during the week, I eat alone. No pity party, here. With a trusted dog eyeing every move from her vantage point on the kitchen floor, I cook myself elaborate meals, decoratively fan them out on the good china, and pour vodka martinis into a frosted glass. This is the good life.
But for the times when I come home late or have no energy to fuss, I rely on roasted red peppers to elevate the simplest ingredients into a feast. With sliced country bread, aged cheese, and a splash of balsamic, delicious! Folded into scrambled eggs and green onions, divine. Added to warmed pita and hummus, magnificent. During October Unprocessed and even beyond, bottled red peppers won’t do. They’re watery and practically tasteless. So fire up the grill or preheat the oven and make a batch or two to have on hand.
Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
Instructions
(Gas) Grilling Method
- Preheat the grill to 450 degrees F.
- Place peppers on the grate for about 15 to 20 minutes until the peppers collapse and the skins are completely charred, turning them a few times during grilling. Remove the peppers from the heat and place in a tightly covered bowl for 30 minutes.
- Remove the stems, peel and seeds. If not using immediately, pour a few tablespoons of oil over the peppers, cover and refrigerate. They’ll keep for one to two weeks.
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Put the whole peppers on a sheet pan lined with foil and then place in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes until the peppers collapse and the skins are completely charred, turning them a few times during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and use the foil to tightly wrap the peppers. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Remove the stems, peel and seeds. If not using immediately, pour a few tablespoons of oil over the peppers, cover and refrigerate. They’ll keep for one to two weeks.
Nutrition
Wendy Braitman is a Certified Career Coach guiding people who are looking for meaning and satisfaction from their work. She is a regular on-air contributor to HuffPost Live, and her essays have appeared in The Huffington post, Slate’s Double XX, Tifereret, and the book Singlism by Bella DePaulo. Wendy offers a 6-Day plan for getting out of your head and into action to find your next career, and for ongoing career resources, check out Wendy’s site, Love Your Next Career. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
You’ve inspired me. I’m going to give it a try. Thanks!
Yes, Wendy, it serves the same purpose.
Sandi, it never occurred to me to freeze peppers with the skins on. I have a question. After I’ve grilled peppers, I put them in a bowl and keep them wrapped for at least 20 minutes to left the peppers steam and soften. Is your equivalent covering them with a cloth and lettin gthem cool?
I’ve been freezing my organic garden’s bounty of peppers in a similar manner for years. Whether they are sweet red, yellow or orange peppers or Anaheims, poblanos, or jalapenos, the method is the same. I cut off the tops, slice them in half vertically, scoop out the seeds then lay them (skin side up) on a cookie sheet and broil until the skins are black and bubbly. When taken from the oven I cover them with a clean kitchen towel until they are cool, then stack them up several layers high and freeze in Ziploc bags. They are pretty easy to separate while still frozen, and once thawed the skin peels off easily. Voila! Fresh roasted peppers all year without going through the process every time they’re needed. The texture and taste are just like fresh roasted, plus I believe that leaving the skins on until they’re actually used helps… Read more »
why would you eat anything that is burnt black, really, you call that healthy?
Best to discard the burnt black part.
Looks delicious. Today, I was wistful that really good tomatoes will soon be out of season.
Here’s a recipe using roasted peppers from a prior October Unprocessed that’s really tasty and easy. Enjoy! https://eatingrules.com/farmers-cooks-eaters/
I tend to do this when peppers are in season and then freeze them in small batches. They keep well that way.
Do you freeze them with any olive oil, or just plain?
There’s lots of eating flexibility when you’re single. Hope your married days are also filled with delicious food.
You make me remember my single’s days: Eating roasted red peppers in every meal!!! Bread and cheese was my favorite indeed…