This past week my market had a buy one – get one free for small peppers. I couldn’t pass that up. So, then came the planning – what to cook without getting sick of the peppers. Here are some dishes I came up with that include peppers.
Vegetable Quesadillas With Mango Salsa
Serves 2
Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup diced jalapeños
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey cheese
Kosher salt
Three 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, corn, jalapeños, chili powder,1/8 teaspoon salt and cheese.
Divide the mixture between the tortillas, scattering it over half of each and folding the tortillas in half.
Heat the oil in a heavy-duty 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the quesadillas and cook until browned and crisp on the bottom, about 1 minute.
Turn the tortillas over and continue to cook until browned and crisp on the other side, 1 minute more. Let cool slightly, cut into wedges, and serve with lime wedges and Mango Salsa.
Mango Salsa
Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
Half a yellow bell pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of cayenne
Salt to taste
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine all the mango salsa ingredients and set aside. Let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Toss before using.
Sautéed Sausage, Peppers and Onion Sandwiches
Reserve 4 pieces of sausage and ½ cup of the peppers and onions for the Stuffed Zucchini recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 pound each of hot and sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell pepper, sliced into long strips
2 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced into long strips
2 garlic cloves, sliced into slivers
1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
Ciabatta rolls
Directions
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the sausages and brown them slowly. You want a gentle browning, not a quick sear.
Cook for several minutes, turning them occasionally so they brown on all sides. When the sausages are browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.
When cool enough to handle cut into two-inch lengths.
Increase the heat to high and add the onions and peppers. Toss so they get coated with the oil in the pan and cook, stirring often.
Once the onions and peppers soften, sprinkle some salt on them, add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the sausages back in. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the peppers are soft and the sausages are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Heat the rolls and fill them with the sausage mixture.
Sausage and Peppers Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz cooked Italian sausage, chopped
¼ cup cooked peppers and onions, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees.
Trim the stem end of the zucchini, cut a thin slice from the top and scoop out the zucchini flesh with a teaspoon. Finely chop the zucchini flesh and the slice from the top of the zucchini.
Place the zucchini shells in one layer in a baking dish. Generously brush the inside of the zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and add the chopped zucchini.Cook until soft and tender. Add the chopped sausage and chopped onions and peppers. Cook until hot. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the panko breadcrumbs to the filling and let cool until easy to touch. Stuff the zucchini boats with the filling.
Sprinkle the top of the filling in the zucchini with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a little oil.
Bake the zucchini for 30 minutes, until the topping is crispy and golden.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Pork Fajitas
Use pork tenderloin — a tender, lean meat. Traditionally, fajitas are made with skirt beef steak, which has twice the fat and three times the amount of saturated fat.
Makes 8 fajitas
Ingredients
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 small onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 flour tortillas, about 8 inches in diameter, warmed in the microwave
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 plum tomatoes, diced
4 cups shredded lettuce
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, oregano, paprika, coriander and garlic powder. Dredge the pork pieces in the seasonings, coating completely.
Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Add the pork, peppers and onions and cook over medium-high heat, turning several times, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
To serve, spread an equal amount of pork, peppers and onions on each tortilla. Top each with 1 tablespoon cheese, 2 tablespoons tomatoes and 1/2 cup shredded lettuce.
Fold in both sides of each tortilla up over the filling, then roll to close. Serve immediately.
Turkey Salad
Ingredients
2 cups leftover roasted turkey breast, diced
2 stalks celery
¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl with a cover. Add the diced turkey, celery, onion and bell pepper. Mix well.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Colleen
I think you made out like a bandit with all of those bell pepper dishes! The sandwich and stuffed zucchini look sublime.
Jovina Coughlin
We had to be sure to use them but not get tired of eating them. Thanks so much for taking time to comment.
Wendie Donabie
Love peppers. Thanks Jovina,!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
There is so much you can do with peppers. It seems like I always want to buy a half dozen. Hubby has to hold me back. 🙁 My sweet mother-in-law called them mangoes. The first time I was at her house, still dating my Honey, she asked if I like mangoes in my spaghetti sauce? That floored me for a minute until I realized she was cutting up a green pepper and putting it into her spaghetti sauce. Love what you’ve done with your peppers!! On a different note. We are back north — it’s cold and i miss the warm weather. Have a great weekend.
Jovina Coughlin
Love your mango experience. Stay warm.
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sydneybudgetmum
Definitely going to make some of these. Capsicum is always expensive though in my area