How To Cook Peppers Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED PEPPERS (& MORE RECIPES!)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Wash the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise; remove the stems and seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the peppers on top. Bake with the cut side down for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip to cut side up, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake another 15 minutes until tender.
• Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (or use our Instant Pot quinoa method): Rinse the quinoa and drain it completely, then place it in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer where the water is just bubbling for 17 to 20 minutes until the water has been completely absorbed. (Check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains.) Turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on to steam for at least 5 minutes.
• Mince the garlic, shallot and parsley. Chop the pistachios. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until the shallot is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cooked quinoa, pistachios, 1/4 cup parsley, paprika, oregano, lemon juice and zest, sea salt and black pepper. Taste and add another few pinches of salt to taste. Spoon the filling into the roasted pepper halves. Garnish with a small sprinkling of remaining parsley and feta cheese crumbles. Serve any additional filling on the side.

HOW TO COOK PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven or broiler. You can bake or broil any variety of pepper, but usually, large bell peppers should be roasted in an oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius) while smaller peppers should be roasted in a broiler that has been preheated for 5 to 10 minutes. Either way, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. If you are using a broiler with separate "high" and "low" settings, preheat it to "high."
• Cut the peppers or leave them whole. Small peppers should be left whole. Large peppers, like bell peppers, can be cut in halves or quarters to speed up the cooking process. Place cut peppers on the prepared baking sheet cut-side-down.
• Coat the peppers with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray over the surface of each pepper or brush a little olive oil on the skins. Cooking spray or oil helps with making sure that the peppers don't stick to the foil or the pan when you're ready to remove them.
• Cook the peppers until roasted. The exact amount of time will vary based on size and cooking method, but usually, bell peppers should be roasted in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes while smaller hot peppers should be broiled for 5 to 10 minutes per side. Turn the peppers periodically so that the skins become evenly charred on all sides. When ready, the skins should be dark and bubbly.
• Serve warm. Wrap the peppers in aluminum foil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they become cool enough to handle with your bare hands. At that point, unwrap them and use or enjoy as desired. Before serving, peel the skins off the peppers using your fingers. If you allowed them the steam inside of foil while they cooled, the skins should slip off with relative ease.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
• Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
• In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
• Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

PADRON PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the peppers, stirring frequently, for 5 mins until blistered and wilted. The peppers should be soft and slightly charred.
• Transfer the peppers to a serving plate and season with some sea salt. Serve with dips or as part of a tapas spread.

EASY ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Cut the peppers into quarters. Remove the seeds and the membranes. Roast the peppers until the skin blisters and turns black. Remove from oven and cover with plastic, or a tea towel, or place in a paper bag until cool. The skins should peel away off of the peppers easily when cooled.