Bell Peppers: Raw, Roasted, Fajita style















Bell Peppers are so versatile...and packed full of nutrients! Plus they are eye candy; making any plate tempting, especially when you use a variety of colors!

Nutritional Value:

Bell peppers are a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta carotene, and folic acid. Bell peppers also contain antioxidants; chlorogenic acid,zeaxanthin, and coumeric acid. Studies show that red bell peppers seem to have higher levels of these nutrients than green. The red peppers also contain lycopene which is a carotene that protects against cancer and heart disease.

They can be used raw, roasted, or sauteed (fajita style). Dip them in hummus, use in salads and soups, on tacos, quesadillas, sandwiches and wraps. The possibilities are endless!

Raw; peppers have a great watery crunch that burst in your mouth...so fresh!

Fajita style:
Saute sliced peppers over high heat with sliced onion and finely chopped garlic (ingredients shown in picture above). Feel free to add a hot poblano or jalapeno pepper for some kick!. The trick is to get the pan HOT first and don't cook too long. These peppers are great with fish, chicken, beef, eggs or tofu. They can be served with tortillas, rice, guacamole or salsa...And the smell of this cooking up makes your mouth water!

Fire Roasted:
This is my personal favorite! The pictures below show the process. Place washed peppers over an open flame, either outside on the grill or on a gas top range. Here I used one red, yellow, orange and one poblano (because I love spicey). Blacken, turning when needed to get all sides. Sweat the blackened peppers (Yes, I said sweat...not by taking them on a run, but more like putting them in a steam room) by placing them into a plastic bag and sealing. After about 15 minutes, they can be cleaned under running water, removing most of the burnt skin. Remove seeds and slice or chop as desired. Fire roasted peppers are great as a pizza topping, on a sandwich or wrap, in a salad or soup. I love to put them in a wrap with hummus, spinach and mushrooms. Enjoy!
























Vegetables can be fun and delicious! Please share your ideas for getting more fruits and vegetables in your day! I would love to hear from you!

2 comments:

  1. I'm really enjoying your posts. Your ideas are helping me get more fresh vegetables into my diet. While I was cutting up veggies for the next week (like you recommended), I had the idea to roast a batch, too. I put carrots and beets into a baking pan with olive oil, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and baked them for an hour. We were able to add them to our meals during the week without any fuss.

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  2. That's perfect, what a great idea! I love chayote roasted as well. I am so glad this is working for you, thank you for your input!

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