I love capsicums or bell peppers, particularly the robust red and yellow ones which are sweet, crunchy, attractive, nutritious and delicious. The green capsicums are wonderful in mostly cooked dishes (though they are great in some salads) and I particularly like them stuffed and baked. They also come in bright orange, almost creamy white and deep purple. The health benefits of capsicums aside, they are just a great snack, period. Whenever they are plentiful in local markets (and that is the majority of the year as the Philippines is now growing them in a major way, primarily for export I gather), I always have a few in my grocery cart. Most of the time, we roast them until much of their skin surface is blackened, then put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap for them to steam themselves, then peel them and remove the pith and seeds. Store them in the fridge in some olive oil and enjoy them on a nice crusty piece of bread, or as part of an antipasto spread or in a sandwich…
But roasting (typically over coals, sometimes over an open flame on a gas stove) can be a bit involved for most folks, so here is a quick tip I am sharing with you after years of making these roasted bell peppers at home. When you only have 1-3 pieces of bell peppers, and they aren’t so big that they won’t fit, stick them in your toaster oven and turn it on to high… Visit it every few minutes and turn the peppers around if they look like they are burning too much on one side. Then, when they are done, turn off the toaster oven and just leave the peppers in there for say 20 minutes and they will naturally steam in the small space, making peeling a real breeze… No need to place them in a separate bowl, waste cling wrap, and have to wash the bowl as well. For even easier clean up, you may want to place some foil in the tray of the toaster oven to prevent caramelization or juices in the toaster oven. Really easy, simple and practical. Here, another link to an old post, a capsicum “still life”… :)
Some uses for roasted capsicum:
Roasted Squid and Capsicum Salad
Fideua with Shrimp & Chorizo
A Mezze Style Lunch
Antipasti Platter a la Marketman
Tapas!
Chicken and Artichoke Sandwiches a la Marketman
Shrimp, Tapenade, Tatziki, Roasted Peppers & Pesto Panini
Grilled Octopus Salad a la Marketman
17 Responses
thanks for that, MM!
meantime, i read somewhere (could’ve been a pinterest bit) that the number of bumps under capsicum determine whether it’s for cooking or can be enjoyed raw. I think 3 bumps spell sweet.
:)
Simple, quick and delicious results! thanks for the tip sir Marketman. Will be trying this when i get of from work, can’t wait. Would love to see those white and purple bell peppers, wonder if they taste the same.
*note to self* Antipasto, antipasto, antipasto before pasta haha :))
this is very helpful, since i’ve always just roasted them over my gas stove. i’ve never roasted them on the oven toaster, but this looks a lot easier. thanks, MM!
Nice tip!
A big thank you for this tip! You can also do this in the turbo (for a larger batch). Roasted bell pepper salad is a big favorite in our household.
https://dead-hungry.blogspot.com/2009/01/bell-pepper-connection-two-otherwise.html
we export them already, but they’re still quite expensive, unlike asparagus, solo papayas and other agri exports.
Grilling capsicum can be quite a hassle for me whenever I make cheese pimiento….now making them would be a breeze. I can’t thank you well enough for this brilliant tip! Thanks, MM! (:
oooooh … an easier way! thanks, MM!
I love roasted peppers in sandwiches and fajitas. However, I read that bell peppers are high in pesticides. Can anyone in the know share something about this?
Jakespeed: See the link below for the updated 2011 list of the “dirty dozen” and “clean fifteen”…..helps to decide which ones to buy organic and which to avoid or eat less of.
https://nutritionexpert.com/blog/2011/06/12-worst-pesticide-containing-fruits-and-vegetables/
Sweet bell peppers appear as #8 on the dirty dozen list.
Been doing that,but always take them out–now I’ll keep them there for 20 mins so it’s easier to remove the skin. Toping,good to know I can turbo as well for big batches…
Tried it today. Deelish! Made the pimientos for chicken ala king.
Bell peppers or “Lara” as it is called in Lucban, Quezon reminds me so much of my Lola. She would roast or fry it for us and then we would eat it with fried rice. I especially love it when dipped in natural vinegar from Tayabas or Lucban which is sweeter than most vinegars.
I LOVE bell peppers! It’s too bad they’re not cheap especially the yellow Dole ones. The thin-fleshed Chinese peppers just won’t do.
I love this tip! Thank you! :)
Love this tip! I usually enjoy them stuffed with cherry tomatoes and cheese, but this is another great way to have them.