Roasted Red Peppers

Whoever designed my kitchen was an idiot.  The gas stove is right under the smoke alarm, which means if I ever even want to turn it on I have to turn on both the stove fan and a giant fan we've put on the fridge directed right at the smoke alarm.  Hence, using the flame on the gas stove to roast red peppers or corn is out of the question without a visit from firemen.

When red peppers went on sale, I was bound and determined to finally attempt to make my own roasted red peppers, alarm be damned!  Instead of the stove top, I used a super hot oven to blister the skins.

Roasted Red Peppers
Bell peppers
Garlic, smashed

Roast the peppers at 400 F for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes to ensure all sides have blistered skin.  After removing from the oven, cover with foil until cooled and ready to handle.

Put a colander over a large bowl, this way you collect all of the "juice" to preserve the peppers without any seeds.  Peel, deseed, and take out any of the white/yellow ribs.  Do not rinse the peppers with water!  Rather, if you are having a difficult time removing seeds run your fingers under water and then squeeze the pepper section through your pointer and middle finger swiftly to scrape the seeds away.

Cut the peppers into strips and save in the preserved pepper juice.  Smash 4-5 cloves of garlic and add to the peppers.  These can be kept in the fridge for about a week and are great in salads, pasta dishes, and antipastos!