Bell Peppers

Ring My Bell!

 What do you do with your bell peppers? My peppers are just coming on strong in my garden and if I don't use them for pasta sauce or salsa, I can tend to struggle with how to use them. My family doesn't care much for peppers unless they are pureed in soup or sauce. I, however love them so much and find myself just eating them raw with hummus. I really want to make the most out of my garden this year so I've been on the search for really tasty recipes for my bells. 

Here's some helpful information first. Do you think they are a fruit or a vegetable? You'd be right if you said fruit. They are in the same family as the tomato. eggplants and potatoes. The colors we are use to seeing are the tri color, red, yellow, orange and the most popular choice is the green bell. Bells come in even more colors too, including purple, white, and brown. Bell Peppers are very versatile. Your green bell pepper is simply any one of the other varieties of bell pepper that is just unripe.Green peppers are much more sharp in flavor and it's quite distinct. The tri color varieties are much sweeter. Bells have twice the amount of vitamin C than an orange and are also a significant source of vitamin A and folate. If you're looking to lose a little around the middle, bell pepper is a great source to go to. Many nutritionists fill a dieters menu full of them. The amount of fiber in the bell helps with the dieters plan for success. Because the bell is such a dense fruit, your body burns more calories while digesting the bell as well as aiding your digestion. Bells in clinical testing have shown that they help you lower cholesterol and risk for heart disease. They contain a great amount of water, very little calories and just taste really good. If you haven't given one a try lately, give it another chance. Find a way to enjoy them, because they are worth it.

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb extra lean ground turkey (you can substitute 1 can northern white or cannellini beans)

4 bell peppers (I have also used orange, yellow and red)
1 med onions, diced 

1 med carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 T. olive oil 

1/4 cup dry couscous
1 chicken bullion cube
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Season to taste with black pepper, cayenne or chipolte, chili

1/2 tsp. lemon juice 

1/2 T. parsley
1/2 cup jack cheese 

Preheat oven to 4000. Saute carrots, onion, garlic until soft over med-high heat. Remove from pan; brown turkey, breaking up as it cooks. After turkey is browned, add veggie mixture, can of tomatoes (with juices), bullion, couscous and cook for 10 more minuets, or until mixture is thick. Chop off top of bell peppers and remove membranes and seeds. Fill with cooked mixture, arrange in baking dish. Add some water to the bottom of the dish to maintain moisture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 min. Remove, uncover and top with cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minuets, until desired tenderness of peppers. Makes 4-6 servings.

If you want to extend this recipe you can cut the bell pepper in half and use two sides to stuff it. I do this when I have excess stuffing mix. You could simply add a bit more of couscous or beans to stretch it. 

Turkey Club Wrap

Sun Dried Tomato Tortilla or Regular Flour Wrap
1-2 Tbl Lowfat Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2  Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin or diced up

1-2 Tbl of Crumbled Bacon

Sliced Roma Tomato (Very Thin)
Baby Spinach Leaves
Iceberg or Romaine lettuce leaves
2 Thin Slices of Baby Swiss Cheese
Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast to Cover Filling

  *Other options: sprouts, slivers of carrot, smashed goat cheese with basil pesto.

Place wax paper on the cutting board, smear cream cheese over the tortilla, sprinkle bacon, sliced tomato and bell pepper, lay out your Swiss cheese, then lettuce and spinach and the last layer should be the turkey. Tightly roll the tortilla  and then wrap the wax paper around and twist both ends like a tootsie roll and refrigerate for about 20 minutes before you cut it in half or in small pinwheels.

I found this recipe a while back and everyone in our house has really loved it. It's our go to dinner when I've been too busy to think about what to cook. I even keep a little jar filled with a minced bell pepper, oregano, olive oil, shallot mixture in my fridge and it lasts for quite a while. All you do from there is sauté the mixture, or even better you can microwave it. *when I have a bit of half and half or creme, I sometimes splash a bit in too. It's naughty, but it does taste good.

photo and recipe courtesy of geekcookery.com   

Cream of Pepper Pasta

1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp. oregano

1/4 Parmesan, grated
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
400g/14 oz Penne Rigate

1. Place oil and shallots in a frying pan and sauté gently making sure shallots don’t brown (as they become bitter).
2. Add the peppers and sauté until very tender; if the mix becomes too dry add some boiling water (a glass will do).
3. Season to taste (please remember that extra salt will go in with the Parmesan, so don’t overdo it).
4. Place the sauce in a food processor and blitz to a cream, then add the oregano.
5. To cook the pasta, use a large capacity pan and bring to the boil 4 liters/1 gallon of water, add salt and then the pasta.
6. Place the sauce on the drained pasta, stir well and add plenty of grated Parmesan. You may wish to add a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

I was lucky to grow up with many ladies around me that canned and preserved really great things. My wonderful second Mom Barbara across the street from me had the most amazing pepper jelly. I think that is why I'm hooked today. There is just something unique about it and I just can't get enough. I serve it over chicken, over a block of cream cheese with crackers. I even enjoy it mixed in to meatloaf...no really, the possibilities are endless with pepper jelly.

Jalapeno Jelly
Yields: about 5 half pints
3/4 lb jalapeno peppers
2 pouches liquid pectin
2 c. cider vinegar (divided)
6 c. sugar

Wash peppers; drain. Remove stems and seeds. Puree peppers and 1 c. vinegar, then add mixture to a large pot. Add the remaining vinegar, sugar and bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Stir constantly.

Stir in liquid pectin and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, while continuing to stir.

Remove from heat and skim foam if necessary. Stir in a few drops of food coloring of choice, but it's not imperative. Ladle hot jelly into jars in a boiling water canner.

NOTE: When cutting and seeding the peppers, wear double rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned. I happen to have very sensitive hands and there is nothing worse than the pepper sting in your fingernail beds and on the tips of your fingers...nothing gets it out, not even the old wives tail home remedies. Be safe!

This red bell pepper sauce goes on everything from fish to chicken to hamburgers and drizzled over corn cakes or hush puppies. Try it!

Red Bell Pepper Sauce

1 large red bell pepper
1 cup mayonnaise ( I have used yogurt as well, tastes even better)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper 

Roast bell pepper over open flame and char skin. (if you don't have a gas burner, place your bells on a piece of tinfoil under the broiler in your oven, watch closely and turn the bell with tongs as it chars. I actually prefer this method because it's more even and tastes better to me.  Once skin is charred all over, place in a paper or plastic bag. Allow to sweat for a few minutes. Remove skin. Slice bell pepper in half and remove seeds. Place in a blender together with the rest of the ingredients. Puree until smooth. Adjust seasoning according to taste.