Sweet Pepper Recipes

Sweet Peppers

By Betsy Freese

I love the pop of color that sweet bell peppers bring to my meals, but I'm no fan of the store price for yellow, orange, and red peppers. So this summer I grew my own. They are doing well, but I learned that pepper plants require higher temperatures and grow more slowly than tomato plants. I need to leave the sweeter colored bell peppers on the plant longer than the green variety to develop full flavor and ripen completely. All peppers are a good source of vitamins A and C, but the red ones are simply bursting with these vitamins. Bring them on!

Rice & Sweet Pepper Bowl

Start to Finish: 30 minutes
4 medium green and/or red sweet peppers
1 8.8-oz. pouch cooked Spanish-style rice
1 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes
4 1-oz. slices Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved
Fresh oregano (optional)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Quarter peppers; remove stems, seeds, and ribs. Place in 2-quart square microwave-safe baking dish. Add 2 Tbsp. water. Cover with parchment. Microcook on high 4 minutes, until crisp-tender; turn dish once if no turntable. Remove peppers from dish; drain and set aside.

2. Microcook rice according to package directions. Drain tomatoes, reserving 2 Tbsp. liquid. In baking dish layer half the peppers (cut sides up), the rice, drained tomatoes, Jack cheese, and remaining peppers (cut sides down). Drizzle reserved tomato liquid. Cover with parchment. Microcook on high 5 to 6 minutes, turning once. Let stand 5 minutes. To serve, top with Parmesan and oregano; drizzle olive oil. Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Facts per serving: 319 cal., 16 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 36 mg chol., 733 mg sodium, 31 g carb., 3 g dietary fiber, 14 g protein.
Daily Values: 22 % vit. A, 174 % vit. C, 34 % calcium, 13 % iron.
Exchanges: