Whether roasted, sautéed, steamed, or baked, peppers make any dish divine
Cut & clean
Wash peppers just before using; remove the stem, seeds, and interior membranes. Sauté, steam, or bake and add to salads, soups, or stir-fries. Store peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Power food
Sweet peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A.
Super-simple roasted peppers
Broil peppers close to an open flame or heat source, rotating until they blacken evenly. Put charred peppers in a plastic bag for about ten minutes, pull off the blackened peels, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry, remove seeds and stems, slice, and use in salads, or purée for soups.
Also indexed as: Banana Peppers, Bell Peppers, Bull’s Horn Peppers, Cubanelle Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Pimiento Peppers, Red Bell Peppers
Varieties
Sweet peppers range in color from green to yellow, orange, red, purple, and black. Red bell peppers are fully ripened green bell peppers, with a milder, sweeter flavor. Other peppers include the red, heart-shaped pimiento; the pale green, slender and curved bull’s horn; the long, tapered Cubanelle, which ranges in color from yellow to red; and the sweet banana pepper, which is yellow and banana-shaped.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Wash peppers just before using; remove the stem, seeds, and interior membranes, and add to salads, soups, or stir-frys. Peppers can be sautéed, steamed, or baked. Roast peppers by holding them over an open flame, or broiling them about 1/2-inch (1.25cm) from the broiler flame and rotating every minute or so until they blacken evenly. Put charred peppers in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes, then pull off the blackened peels and rinse the peppers under cold water. Pat dry, remove seeds and stems, and slice peppers. Use roasted pepper slices in salads, or purée in soups.
Nutritional Highlights
Peppers, 1 cup (sweet, green, raw)
Calories: 40
Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrate: 9.6g
Total Fat: 0.24g
Fiber: 2.7g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (133mg), and Vitamin A (942 IU)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
