Project 282 and 280: Keep It Simple: Roasted Red Pepper Grilled Cheese

I just love roasted red peppers. Never tire of them. I roast them myself in no time under my broiler then use them in countless recipes.
 
I grabbed a couple of slices of homemade bread from the freezer. To one side of each I added a thin schmear a butter/olive oil mix S whips up. In my non-stick skillet I sprayed a bit of cooking spray and built the sandwich right in the pan:  slice of bread, two slices of my favorite-favorite-cheese-of-the-day cheese, a roasted red pepper, slice of bread. I toasted this until it was as brown as I fancied and the cheese was nice and gooey. See? See how easy that was?

Project 285-284: Roasted Pepper and White Bean Soup

Soup is still a dish we crave because the weather is still chilly and damp. It might be late March but a bowl of soup is not entirely out of season. Because I roasted a bunch of very large peppers yesterday, making this soup was quick. You can use canned roasted peppers but I just prefer the taste of the ones I roast myself. They really taste, well, roasted.

In my food processor I blended three large, yellow roasted peppers, half a 4 oz. can of roasted green chiles, and half a 15 oz. can of cannellini beans.

I sauteed a chopped sweet onion and two cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. I added salt, freshly ground cumin seed, smoked paprika and freshly ground black pepper and cooked until the onions colored a bit.

I then added the cooked onions to the food processor and added vegetable broth until I had the consistency I wanted. I don't mind texture in my soup and I don't mind some pepper seeds so the food processor is my tool of choice. Use the blender of you prefer. Strain it too, if you like.

I garnished the soup with sliced cherry tomatoes. Cilantro would be nice. A dollop of sour cream perhaps or strained yogurt (now marketed as "Greek yogurt"). Don't forget a hunk of crusty bread.

Baked Eggs With Goat Cheese

Here's a little plug for my Italian heritage. But it's also the basis of a very tasty and easy to make baked egg. dish. I diced one seeded jalapeño pepper, half of a large onion, and half a large red pepper. I sauteed this in a little extra virgin olive oil until the veggies were just soft. I seasoned with salt and pepper.

On top of this mixture I cracked four eggs. A gentle hand is helpful. I took a rubber spatula and gently stretched out the egg whites and made sure egg white fell into the veggie mixture and hit the hot pan. This helped to form a base on which the rest of the dish cooked.
I cooked it like this for a few minutes, giving the whole thing a chance to firm up. Next came the goat cheese. Creamy and tangy in its goatiness, it's a household favorite. A dollop on each egg did the trick. Then I put the pan under the broiler until the cheese melted. I sprinkled fresh chopped dill on top right before serving. Eggs make a great dinner. You won't be disappointed if you bake some eggs tonight.

Pappardelle with Roasted Red Peppers and Prosciutto

This is an absolutely delicious dish inspired by the latest issue of La Cucina Italiana. This issue includes a recipe for tagliatelle all'uovo con pepperoni rossi (tagliatelle with red peppers). I've used pappardelle instead of tagliatelle and I've omitted the serrano chiles. I've also added prosciutto.

This dish was easy to put together. It helped that I had some red peppers already roasted and in the refrigerator. Still, a little bit of chopping while the water is coming to a boil then a little bit of saute work while the pasta is cooking is a small commitment of time for such a wonderful dish.

Here is what I used:

extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 onion, diced
4 oz. prosciutto, diced
1 1/2 large red pepper, roasted, chopped
8.8 oz package of pappardelle
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
shredded parmesean cheese

In a large skillet I drizzled about a teaspoon of olive oil and heated it on medium. Into the pan went the chopped prosciutto. I wasn't in a hurry for it to cook, I have other things to do.

Into my big pasta cooking pot went lots of water, a couple tablespoons of kosher salt and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I set the heat to high.

While the prosciutto cooked and the water heated up I diced the onion, chopped the garlic and chopped the roasted red peppers. I had scored on some gigantic red peppers last week and roasted and peeled them all. I've got them in the refrigerator and I use them on toast, on pasta, in paella, or just a condiment. We just love them.

By now my pasta water is ready and I added the pasta. I cooked this about 8 minutes.

Once the prosciutto crisped up I removed it from the pan. Into the pan then went a tablespoon of olive oil, the onion and the garlic. I also turned up the heat to medium-high. I cooked the onions and garlic until they each began to color. I added the peppers and the prosciutto and turned off the heat. You could also just set the heat on low.

Now that my pasta is cooked I pulled it out gently with rubber-tipped tongs. I really like the extra cooking water that comes along for the ride when I just take the pasta from the cooking pot to the skillet.

I combined the pasta with all the goodies in my skillet until was nice and moist and glistening. I added some salt (not too much because the pasta water was salted, the prosciutto is salty and I'm going to garnish with parmesean) and black pepper and tossed in the parsley. I added the parmesan right before I dove in with my fork. Just fantastic. We had the left-overs the next night for dinner and it was just as good.

Egg and Roasted Pepper Sandwich

I love the combination of peppers and eggs. Both of my Nanas would often make this dish but it took the form of a scramble. In any form I love peppers and eggs. On top of a toasted slice of whole wheat bread I spread some goat cheese. On top of the cheese I placed a big slice of roasted pepper. On top of the pepper I slid a fried egg. Salt and pepper and a couple shakes of green Tobasco and I was set. So easy. So delicious. So satisfying.

Roast Your Own

Bell peppers are expensive. Later in the season when we head to Yakima for a hike and some U-pick or farmer's market veggie shopping, we find great prices. In the meantime, I look for the sales. I happened to be at a local produce stand just a few blocks from home and spotted yellow peppers 2/$1. Fair enough, I thought. Then I noticed the $1 bin. I love the $1 bin when it comes to produce. You can find such great stuff. Grocers (big and small) will cull the first thing that doesn't look like a glossy magazine advertisement. Hopefully, they are passing these "seconds" on to us. Take advantage of this! There is enough waste in this country as it is. From the $1 I picked up five yellow peppers - for $1. One pepper had a bruise - easily cut away. A couple others were starting to get wrinkles. So? Besides, my plan was to roast them so aesthetics aside, I scored! Roasting peppers at home is easy. If you have a gas stove simply set the pepper right on the flame and char all the way around. If you have an electric stove (boo hoo) like we do, you can "roast" them under the broiler. Depending on the size of the peppers, you might have to use the second rack from the top. Or use your charcoal or gas grill outside.

For these yellow bells, I had the rack on the first slot. Simply place the peppers right under the broiler coils and wait. I set a cookie sheet on the rack below because the peppers will drip. I leave the oven door ajar and peek on them frequently. While I'm doing dishes or making another part of the meal, I can roast a whole bunch of peppers. Using tongs I gently turn the peppers until all sides are charred.

I remove them from the oven and set them all in a bowl. I cover the bowl with a big plate or a pot lid to let the peppers steam in their own heat. Later, I come back to find them cool and manageable. Peel off the char and pull out the stem and seeds. Don't rinse - you will wash away the flavor. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

These are great on salads, on sandwiches, diced into pilaf, or eaten as part of an antipasti platter.