Upgrade Your Meal

by Jean Kressy

Relish the American Table is a weekly column that appears in newspapers across the country.

Roasted red peppers, especially the kind you make yourself, are so astonishingly good they should be the first recipe that anyone who wants to learn to cook is taught. As easy as boiling a pot of water and much more interesting to eat, a batch of roasted red peppers in the refrigerator is the culinary equivalent of money in the bank. With the addition of roasted peppers, practically everything you make can be upgraded.

If anyone wants to get persnickety, the truth is that what is generally called “roasted” pepper is really “grilled,” but the end result is the same. Once the charred skin is removed, a firm, crisp bell pepper has been transformed into a soft, intensely flavored delectable sweet pepper.

Because the idea of twirling a pepper over an open flame seems as impractical as roasting a single pepper, we like to roast as many as can comfortably fit on a baking sheet or grill. When the skins are blackened, we often take a shortcut. Instead of putting the peppers in a bag to steam, we let them sit until they’re cool enough to handle and then peel off the skins.

A bowl of red peppers will only last a few days in the fridge, but while it’s there, we live it up with roasted pepper and goat cheese sandwiches for lunch and sliced peppers draped over everything from omelets to burgers. Before we pop chicken breasts on the grill, we whirl together roasted peppers, oil and vinegar to make a sauce. The combination is almost too easy to call a recipe, but we love it.

Grilled Chicken with Spinach, Feta and Red Pepper Sauce

Mark Boughton

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To grill the peppers, preheat grill. Place 2 red bell peppers on grill and cook, turning until charred all over. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag to let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers.

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Red Pepper Sauce:
2 grilled red bell peppers (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. To prepare chicken, place chicken, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; place in refrigerator and marinate 2 to 24 hours.
2. To prepare sauce, place grilled peppers, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender; purée until smooth.
3. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Grill chicken 7 minutes, turn, top with feta and cook 7 more minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
4. Arrange spinach on serving plate, top with chicken and serve with red pepper sauce. Serves 4.

Recipe by Deborah Krasner, Putney, Vt.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 390 calories, 22g fat, 33g prot., 14g carbs., 5g fiber, 1240mg sodium.