Symbol of summer and sunny dishes, very rich in vitamin C, the pepper deserves more than the role of appearing on skewers. Here are some recipe ideas to take advantage of all its benefits.
The pepper declines its palette of colors throughout the beautiful season. Green, when picked before maturity, the pepper takes on a yellow hue as it ripens, then turns orange before arriving at a flamboyant red. Some varieties break the codes and are even adorned with purple or brown.
Globally, “all peppers are interesting from a nutritional point of view: they are low in calories, contain fiber and are rich in water”, says Raphaël Gruman, dietitian. And that’s not all, these sweet peppers have other assets.
Main strong point of the pepper: its antioxidants
Real little soldiers at the service of our cells, they limit the damage caused by free radicals. The ‘cellular anti-aging’ fighters in bell pepper are called provitamin A, vitamin C and E.”Red peppers also contain zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that helps prevent AMD, says our expert. In general, the more colorful or dark a vegetable is, the more antioxidants it has.
There is beta-carotene (provitamin A) as well as vitamin C in good amounts in mature peppers, especially when eaten raw, as heat degrades these vitamins.
Note that a vegetable stored for several days in the vegetable drawer of the fridge will see its vitamin C content decrease rapidly. adds the dietician. To fill up on antioxidants, it is therefore better to eat the pepper raw. It is also the best way to appreciate its crunch and slightly sweet flavor (for varieties picked when ripe).
How to properly digest peppers?
However “Some people may not digest the skin of this vegetable well. Sometimes, in rarer cases, it is its fibers that are poorly tolerated. To improve the digestibility of peppers, care must be taken to remove its small, indigestible seeds. It may be useful to peel it, but then you lose some of the vitamins. »
What about roasting the pepper to remove its skin more easily? “This is an option, but cooking in the oven degrades the vitamins in the vegetable, reminds the dietitian. If you want to cook it, it is better to favor gentle cooking, steaming. Cook the pepper according to your desires and your intestinal sensitivity, taking inspiration from our recipe ideas
In which form to choose your peppers?
- Costs : June to September is peak pepper season. Prefer those sold in bulk to those sometimes offered in trios, overpackaged, in the supermarket. French and organic, it’s even better. If it hasn’t been left on the market stalls for too long, it’s firm to the touch and its skin should be shiny with no “wrinkles”, spots or bruises.
- Canned : In oil, antipasti style, or “au naturel”, the peppers (of the “piquillo” type) sold in jars or canned are cooked and ready to eat, or accommodate.
- Frozen: Out of season, this is the preferred form. Sold in the form of strips (uncooked), frozen peppers have the same nutritional profile as fresh. “Freezing carried out directly after harvest preserves all the vitamins of the vegetable”. confirms our expert.
How to eat peppers?
- Conservation. It resists about 8 days in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
- eaten raw, you make the most of all of its vitamins, with a very appreciable crunchy side. Cut into cubes or strips, peppers go well with summer salads.
- eaten cookedit will go just as well with gratins, stuffings, omelettes, pies, starches as pizzas.
- For kids, who have sensitive and demanding taste buds, it is better to start with the yellow pepper, milder and sweeter. The red will come next then the green, always more peppery and more bitter.
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2/12 –
Candied peppers
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash 2 peppers red 2 peppers yolks, 1 beautiful green pepper, cut them in four and deseed them. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, skin side up. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the skin blisters and blackens slightly. Wait 10 minutes, then peel them using a small sharp knife. Cut them into wide strips and season them. Store them in a jar by inserting 1 sprig of rosemary leaves, 1 bunch of thyme, 1 bay leaf and 2 cloves of peeled garlic. Cover with olive oil and leave to marinate for about 2 hours at room temperature before enjoying on slices of toasted bread or on al dente pasta.
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3/12 –
Pepper and strawberry tartare with basil
Rinse 100 g strawberries and 1 red pepper. Hull the strawberries, then cut them into quarters. Hull and seed the pepper, then dice it. Put the strawberries and peppers in an airtight jar. Prepare a marinade by mixing 1 lime (juice), 1 knife tip of grated organic lime zest or 2 drops of lime essential oil, a few chopped fresh basil leaves, 1 tbsp. at s. of agave syrup and 1 tbsp. c. of tamari sauce in a small bowl. Pour the marinade over the diced strawberries and peppers, then leave to cool in an airtight container before eating.
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4/12 –
Bell Pepper Hummus
Place 1 can of drained chickpeas, 3 roasted skinless red peppers, 1 small clove of garlic, 1 drizzle of lemon juice, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and salt in a food processor and process until obtaining a homogeneous and smooth mixture.
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5/12 –
Grilled Pepper Penne
Bake 2 red peppers in the oven for 40 minutes at 240°. Let them cool, remove the blackened skin. Remove the seeds, chop the pulp. Rinse and chop 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley and 1 bunch of basil. Toast 40g of pine nuts in a pan. Mix half with 1 clove of garlic, add the herbs and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper the sauce. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Heat the pepper pulp with 1 tablespoon of oil. Drain the pasta, add the pepper pulp, the sauce and the toasted pine nuts and mix.
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6/12 –
Peppers stuffed with ricotta
Wash 6 peppers, remove the tail, seeds and white parts. Finely chop 4 fresh sage leaves, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of parsley, 6 fresh mint leaves. In a bowl, mix 250g of ricotta, 2 chopped 125g mozzarella, 2 eggs and the chopped herbs. Add 30g of parmesan and fill the peppers with stuffing. Bake at 170° for about 90 minutes.
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7/12 –
Fajitas with chicken and peppers
Slice 500g of chicken, cut 1 red and 1 green pepper, 1 onion into strips. Brown the chicken in a little oil for 4 minutes over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 salt, 1 paprika, 1 sugar, 1/2 onion powder, 1/2 garlic powder, 1 /2 ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Add the vegetables and simmer. Heat your tortillas and fill them with the preparation.
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8/12 –
Pepper chutney
Soak 100g of raisins in lukewarm water. Dice 1kg of peppers, 2 onions and 2 green apples. In a large saucepan, melt 500g of sugar with 20cl of sherry vinegar and 20cl of water. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and a good teaspoon of salt. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring often, then add 6g of pepper before blending.
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9/12 –
Muffins with peppers, dried tomatoes and feta
Mix 125g of flour, 1 pinch of salt, cumin, paprika and 1/2 sachet of yeast. Beat 1 egg then add 12cl of milk and 30g of melted butter. Mix and add to the flour. Cut 1 red pepper, 1 green, 4 dried tomatoes, 30g of feta, and 2 basil leaves into small dice. Add to the preparation without mixing too much and pour into silicone muffin molds for 30 minutes at 180°.
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10/12 –
Pepper and tofu spaghetti
Brown 1 onion and 1 cut red pepper. Add 200g of tofu in squares and 1 tablespoon of oil. Remove the tofu and add 1 teaspoon of paprika, 100ml of white wine and simmer. Add 1 vegetable stock cube, 500ml of water and 2 tablespoons of tomato puree. Cook the spaghetti as directed on the package. Mix the preparations over low heat and enjoy.
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11/12 –
Pepper, Tomato and Eggplant Stew
Chop an onion and brown it. Add 8 peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomatoes, 25 cl of water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer. Lightly brown 3 small eggplants cut into slices and set aside. Put 1 red pepper, 1 green and 1 yellow) seeded and thinly sliced in the pan and fry them for a few minutes. Gather all the ingredients in a frying pan for cooking over low heat, sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkle with cinnamon, add 2 pressed garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper and cover.
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12/12 –
Pepper and tomato gazpacho
Rinse and pat dry 2 red peppers. Remove the peduncle and put the peppers on a baking sheet under the hot grill, turning them on all sides. When the skin is black and blistered, let the peppers cool out of the oven. Peel them and cut them in half, remove the seeds and the white membranes. Cut the peppers into small pieces. Wash and dry 6 ripe tomatoes. Remove the stems and immerse the tomatoes for 30 seconds in a pan of boiling water. Drain them and put them in a bowl of cold water. Peel the tomatoes, cut them into quarters and deseed them. Peel 2 carrots and cut them into rounds. Mix the pieces of peppers with the tomato quarters, the carrot slices and 1 peeled clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sweet pepper, salt and pepper. Reserve 1 hour in the fridge.