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 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | April 2005 
Add Color And Flavor With Bellpeppers
 Vicky Cowal - The Herald Mexico
| All peppers start out green. Some will remain green while others ripen to their characteristic color, becoming sweeter when they do so.
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Bell peppers sit in the vegetable section of supermarkets in Mexico shiny and beautiful, and often ignored. As they are not spicy, they are simply not much of a part of the Mexican diet except in a few salads and occasionally diced or in strips as a garnish.
But they are too good to be dismissed. While everyone knows about green bell peppers, bells can range in color from pale to dark green, from yellow to orange to red, and from purple to brown to black. All peppers start out green. Some will remain green while others ripen to their characteristic color, becoming sweeter when they do so. Green bell peppers are available all year, while the other varieties are found sporadically throughout the year. In Mexico we now can often find the ripened red ones as well as delicious sweet yellow and orange ones (the lighter the color the mellower they are).
You should choose peppers that have a firm, shiny skin and feel heavy for their size. Avoid the ones that are shriveled up as that means they have lost moisture or have soft spots which indicate decay inside. If you store them in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator, they will not only keep for about a week but they will preserve their moisture and their vitamin C.
Bell peppers are low in calories, contain fair amounts of vitamin A and small amounts of calcium, phosphorous, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, and most importantly, are an excellent source of vitamin C. The most nutritious way to serve them is raw for instance in a salad as vitamin C is sensitive to heat. But because peppers have so much vitamin C to begin with, even cooked peppers are a good source of this nutrient.
Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) does a lot for the body. It boosts the immune system and is an important antioxidant. It is also vital to the production of collagen, which is involved in the building and health of cartilage, joints, skin, and blood vessels. It helps protect the fat-soluble vitamins A and E as well as fatty acids from oxidation; and aids in neutralizing pollutants.
When you are not thinking of the healthiest way to eat them, what really brings bell peppers into the realm of great eating is the blistering of the outside membrane, the same process that takes place in Mexico with many of the hot peppers. It is done to make the peppers both soft and more flavorful. To blister peppers, you can brush them lightly with olive or vegetable oil and broil them, but most Mexican stoves don't have broilers. The stovetop method is to place the peppers directly on the gas burner and turn them until they are blackened on all sides. After roasting, the peppers are placed in a paper or plastic bag to sweat and then the blackened peel is removed under cold running water.
Bell peppers go well with almost all vegetables. They can also be served with most meat, poultry or fish. Pasta sauces are excellent with their addition.
ZUCCHINI WITH ROASTED BELL PEPPERS
- 1/4 cup olive oil.
- 3/4 cup slivered onions.
- 2 pounds small zucchini, sliced into julienne strips.
- 2 red pepper peppers (or yellow or orange), blistered, seeded and thinly sliced.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, lower the heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until barely tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the roasted pepper slices and cook for another few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.
ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP
(This is delicious served with a mixture of roasted vegetables like zucchini, carrots, eggplant, scallions, etc.).
- 2 red peppers, blistered, seeded and cut into chunks.
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt.
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil.
- 1 clove garlic, roasted, peeled and minced.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro or Italian parsley.
Place the red pepper chunks in a blender and blend until just purée d. Place in a small serving bowl and stir in the yogurt, basil and garlic. Season to taste with black pepper. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley.
PEPPER-INFUSED PASTA SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 1 small onion (preferably yellow*), coarsely chopped.
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed.
- 1 cup coarsely chopped ripe tomato.
- 1 cup stock.
- 1 red bell peppers, blistered, seeded and chopped.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato and stock, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the red pepper. Purée in a food processor or blender, strain into a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. If not using right away, let cool, cover and refrigerate.
* Many of the supermarkets in Mexico City now often have yellow onions.
ROASTED RED PEPPER GAZPACHO
- 4 red bell peppers, blistered, peeled, seeded and chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
- 3 cups tomato juice.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
Purée the peppers and garlic with a little of the tomato juice in a blender. Add the remaining tomato juice and with the motor running add the olive oil and vinegars. Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl and season to taste, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, if desired. Chill for several hours or overnight. Serve with the following garnish. Makes 4 servings.
Garnish: 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and diced; 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced; 1 small diced red onion; 1 tomato, seeded and diced
FARMERS’ STEW
- 6 cups strong chicken stock.
- 1 cup diced celery.
- 1 diced green pepper.
- 1 cup small potato cubes.
- 1 slivered red onion.
- 1 cup fresh corn.
- 4 large peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes.
- Salt and black pepper, to taste.
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken.
Bring the stock to a boil and add the celery, green pepper, potato cubes, onion, corn and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for sanother 5 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Vicky Cowal is a weekly contributor to The Herald. VickyCowal@prodigy.net.mx |
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