How to Roast Peppers

Roasting peppers is an incredibly quick and easy process that can come in handy when you don't have a jar of roasted peppers handy or when you're looking for something to do with some peppers you have laying around in your fridge. Roasting peppers enables you to remove the skin of the pepper and it softens the flesh of the pepper, all while creating a deep, warm flavor. Here's a quick step-by-step on how to roast peppers:

1. Move a rack in your oven to the highest part of the oven, closest to the broiler, then turn the broiler on.

2. Wash peppers (any sort of pepper is fine; the peppers in my pictures are bell peppers), cut off the tops/stem end, and remove the "pulp/membrane" and seeds from the inside.

3. Cut the peppers in half and lay them out, cut side down, on an ungreased baking sheet, then gently press down on the halves to lightly flatten them.

4. Place the baking sheet in the oven under the broiler and cook for 5-10 minutes until the skin has blistered and turned black/brown (don't overcook though). Rotate as needed to ensure even roasting.

5. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately wrap them in foil, then set them aside for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour—this helps soften the peppers.

6. Unwrap the peppers and gently peel off the skins. The skins should easily slide off and should be discarded once removed.

Peeled pepper is on the left and the skin is on the right

7. Use the roasted peppers for sauces, soups, or as part of a meal. They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge.

I used this technique this afternoon to roast a half of a green and orange pepper in order to make a quick sauce for pasta and it worked out so well. While the peppers were resting in the foil, I had time to unload the dishwasher and gather the ingredients for the roasted pepper sauce, and even though I only let them rest for about 15 minutes, they were perfectly softened and they blended well into the sauce I made. Try this technique at home and use your roasted peppers for sauces, soups, as an appetizer (sliced and served on crostini or blended into a dip perhaps?), or slice them up and toss them into a pasta dish or add them to pizza. Roasting peppers is so easy and the peppers can be used in so many ways!

Recipe: Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables with Rice

In an effort to clear out the fridge, and at the prompting of my mom, who wanted me to make something for my dad and I to eat that she wouldn't mind missing out on (she had a luncheon earlier today and wasn't interested in dinner), I decided to pull together some sort of stir fry. Bell peppers, onions, and carrots are perfect for the quick cooking of a stir fry, and, paired with marinated chicken, white rice, and a splash of an Asian-style sauce, it makes for a delicious and easy meal. Because I just made this for my dad and I, I scaled down the ingredients so we didn't end up with a ton of leftovers—we still ended up with enough for four small servings or two large servings, but adjust as you see fit (if anything, add more vegetables, use two chicken breasts, and cook up a little more rice; you should have enough of the marinade and sauce). Next time I make this, I'll be sure to add more pictures of the process (though, I promise, it's quite easy to make).

Yields: 2-4 servings
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry white rice (yields 3 cups cooked)
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned (thinly sliced)
• 1 medium onion, julienned (cut the onion into thin slices like onion rings, then cut those rings in half)
• A large handful of baby carrots, sliced into two or three thin pieces; or 1-2 large carrots cut in half width-wise and then cut into thin pieces)
• Peanut oil (enough to lightly coat the bottom of a large pan)

For the chicken marinade

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, grated
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce (not really necessary, but it adds some nice flavor)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mirin or sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)

For the "sauce" (you won't need all of this in the stir fry)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mirin or sherry
• 1/4 tsp. ginger root, grated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook the rice according to package instructions (I used store brand rice that cooks in simmering water with a little butter for approx. 20 minutes; just keep in mind the cooking time for the rice you choose because the chicken and veggie mixture only takes about 15 minutes to cook and you want the chicken and the rice to be done at about the same time). In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade, add the chicken to the mixture, and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the "sauce" and stir vigorously to combine (stir it occasionally while working on everything else so that the cornstarch remains mixed in); set aside. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add in the pepper, onion, and carrot and cook until the colors brighten and the veggies start to brown ever-so-slightly, then push them aside to one side of the pan. Toss in the chicken on the other side, being careful not to pour the marinade in with it, and cook through until slightly pink in the middle, then reduce to medium heat and mix all of the veggies and chicken together. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, but tender. Add in a little bit of the sauce (just a few spoonfuls) and stir to combine; you don't need much of it, just enough to lightly coat everything—in fact, you'll have a good bit left over, but it's better to have more if you want it. Serve the mixture with the rice. 

The marinade and a splash of the sauce create a delicious salty-sweet flavor that blends perfectly with the tender chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and fluffy white rice. The dish is quick and easy to make (as are so many of the recipes I've shared) and it's a nice, somewhat healthier change from takeout Asian food from your favorite local restaurant.