Vegetables: Bell Peppers

Archive for Vegetables: Bell Peppers

Fajicos Say What?

By Leslie · Comments (3) · July 21st, 2011

Last night I had a few of my favorite bloggers over for a little blogging session. I had a busy day (my amazing cousin Alison has been visiting, so I've been guiding through LA), so it meant standing in Trader Joe's 2 hours before they arrived at my house to decide what to make. (I know you've been there too right??) There were sooo many avocados that I just had to make some guacamole. Kale also sounded really good so all of a sudden these soft taco/fajitas hybrids were born! I would like to call the fajicos. What do you think? Well, I know they tasted yum, yum, yum and came together pretty quickly.

Vegetable Fajicos
Made 8 tacos

What you'll need:

8 mini soft tortillas (I used Trader Joe's new wheat and corn tortillas that I love!)

3 cups kale

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced (so you have longish strips) Here is a tutorial

2 bell peppers, cut into slices to match the onions (I used 1 red and 1 yellow for nice color)

6 oz mushrooms, sliced (these were crimini or baby bellas)

dash of cumin

dash of chili powder

couple shakes of chili powder (definitely adjust all the spices to your favorite flavor profile)

guacamole (your recipe or here are mine: guacamole)

What you'll do:

Put all the kale in a medium bowl and massage with a sprinkle of kosher salt and a small drizzle of olive oil. Get your hands really in there and massage for about 45 seconds. Set aside.

In a large frying pan heat up a little olive oil and add the onions (except a couple pieces), peppers and mushrooms.

While they are cooking, in a small pot, place 3 tablespoons butter and the pieces of onion that you held onto. When they start to look a little softer, add the beans and stir. Place heat on low and get back to your peppers.

When they have gotten a little shiny looking (1-2 minutes) add in the spices. Remember, the longer you cook something the more the "heat" spices will develop. So add a little now and taste right before you are going to serve to add any more.

Assemble: Lay a tortilla out, place a few leaves of kale, then a spoonful of black beans, the vegetables, and top with a little guacamole. There you have it! Fajicos!

I hope you enjoy!

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Comments (3)

Categories : Entrees, Ethnic: Mexican, Vegetables: Bell Peppers, Vegetables: Kale

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

By Leslie · Comments (1) · December 15th, 2010

These pretty little wraps are perfect for a party or get together! They are easy to make, easy to assemble and delicious!

Mediterranean Vegetable Wraps

Makes 24 mini wraps

What you'll need:

6 large tortillas {I used the spinach flavored green ones}

herbed cream cheese {chive and onion, spinach and artichoke, whatever you like}

1 eggplant, sliced in rounds and grilled

4 zucchini, sliced and grilled

2 red bell peppers, roasted {or you can cheat here and buy a jar of roasted peppers}

6 oz. of fresh spinach

12 basil leaves

What you'll do:

Lay out one tortilla on a flat work surface. spread with cream cheese all the way to the edges. It will work as the glue to keep it together. Place about 4 slices of the grilled eggplant down the center of the tortilla. Next layer about 5 zucchini on the diagonal over the eggplant. Then comes the roasted pepper placed on top. You should be looking like this:

Place a few basil leaves on top of the peppers. Next put a few handfuls of spinach on the bottom third of the tortilla. Starting at the spinach heavy end, tightly roll the tortilla and all the veggies up. slice off the edges so they look neat and slice into quarters. Secure with a toothpick.

Serve cold to room temperature. Enjoy!

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Comments (1)

Categories : Sandwiches, Vegetables, Vegetables: Bell Peppers, Vegetables: Eggplant, Vegetables: Spinach

Roasted Bell Peppers

By Leslie · Comments (0) · July 26th, 2010

Roasted bell peppers were one of my favorite family recipes to make as a kid. So yummy!! And so versatile! You can use these in so many different ways. Try them on a toasted baguette, on a sandwich, tossed with pasta, next to a steak for my hubby, or of course with a fork. (which is how I prefer!)

Obviously my love for all things garlicy started at an early age!

Roasted Bell Peppers

What you'll need:

2 bell peppers (I like red and yellow best and here I used one of each)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

a pinch of kosher salt

What you'll do:

To roast the peppers, place them under the broiler in the oven right on the rack. Be sure to place a piece of foil on the rack below to catch the drippings. When the pepper's skin starts to bubble and turn black, turn to the next side. Continue to rotate until the whole pepper is blackened.

Remove from the oven and place on a plate. With a pairing knife, make a vertical slice in each pepper to release the steam from the peppers to let them cool faster.

Let cool for about 30-45 minutes. When they are cool, they should be easy to peel. So, peel and remove the stem and seeds. Lay flat on the cutting board and slice in 1/2 inch slices. Place in a bowl with the chopped garlic and a pinch of salt. Toss together, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Now lots of people put little variations on this. Some add sugar, or basil, some drizzle olive oil or balsamic vinegar. All of things are fabulous too. I recommend trying them all out and seeing what you like best!

Enjoy!

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