I kind of view roasted peppers as the ultimate condiment; that is to say, you can include roasted peppers in sandwiches, have them as a tangy side when barbecuing, or even include them in your favorite grilled cheese sandwich or omelet. Here are the basic ingredients:
- Large Red/Yellow Bell Pepper (green peppers tend to be tougher and contain less flavor in my opinion)
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- bunch of parsley
- dried oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.
- 1 clove of garlic
Start with 6-7 large red bell peppers and char the peppers over an open flame (in the winter you can accomplish this right on your gas stove top <just place the pepper right on the grate!>, in the summer it's nice to char right on the barbecue).
You'll want to cook the peppers until they are fully black or singed. You'll also want to make sure the peppers are nice and soft, if the pepper is still hard to the touch you'll need to continue roasting.
Remove the peppers from the heat source and let cool for 5-10 minutes. DO NOT USE WATER to remove the charred skin. Simply use your hands to get rid of the blackened skin, you shouldn't have a problem with this step if you cooked the peppers long enough (and a little bit of black skin will not kill you). The pepper will still be hot when you begin peeling so resist the urge to use cold water (if you become a serious cook you'll eventually develop "Nonna hands" and be impervious to hot things in the kitchen <you'll be able to pick up hot pans without oven mitts and stir soup with your bare hands - just joking on the latter>).
Next remove the stems and seeds (you will want to remove as many as the seeds as possible). Cut the peppers into long 1/4 inch strips and place in a container that can store in the fridge (with a top).
Add olive oil, parsley, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and finely chopped garlic. Let sit for about an hour and enjoy any time.
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