The mini peppers are particularly special and impart far more succulence and sweetness than their giant brothers. The peppers I am referring to are mini orange, yellow & red peppers - the green variety of peppers are far more pungent and don't work well for this tapas.
So when our neighborhood Costco had these on sale for $4.99 you want to bet I grabbed a bag?
Usually, colored peppers of any size can be quite pricey so I always get them in bulk when they're on sale, pull out all my favorite recipes and get cooking.
Speaking of favorites, this one tops the list. All I need is an excuse to fix them - for lunch, a snack, appetizer or when we're having friends over for dinner. Definitely give it a try - its simple enough to be a staple and elegant enough for fine dining!
Mind you, peeling the peppers does require a bit of patience so don't fix these if your guests are 10 minutes away from ringing the door bell & you're just pulling them out of the refrigerator!
To get started, preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
The main ingredients are simple - 16 mini peppers, in 3 or 4 batches of a different color, goat cheese, fresh chives, good quality olive oil & fresh parsley for garnish.
Also, you'll need a small snack size Ziploc bag so we can cut one tip off & nozzle the goat cheese filling into the peppers.
Far easier & less messier than using a teaspoon. Remove the goat cheese from the refrigerator so it soften up a bit.
To begin, place the mini sweet peppers on a baking tray lines with parchment.
Spray some non-stick spray over the parchment and place the peppers on it. Drizzle some olive oil on the peppers & toss.
Roast for 15-20 minutes till the skin is black & blistered. It will not be blistered all over but the peppers will definitely look soft & the scent of roasting peppers will fill the air.
Chop the chives with a knife or kitchen shears and set aside.
Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and place in a Ziploc bag. Seal shut and allow them to steam. After 10 minutes. Open the bag and set aside to cool. You can also place in a bowl & cover with plastic wrap instead of a Ziploc bag.
Cook's Note - Don't allow them to sit too long & cool down completely. It makes the peeling more tedious.
Place the goat cheese & chopped chives in a bowl with salt. Mix with a fork or spoon till well blended.
Once the goat cheese chives mixture is well mixed, stuff in a small plastic snack bag and seal shut. Snip one corner off so that when the bag is squeezed, the goat cheese will ooze out at about a 1/2" thickness.
Once the peppers have cooled down, because of their mini size & how soft they are, they will require gentle handling.
Peel the charred skin off the peppers with clean fingers. Use kitchen shears & cut a long slit along the length of the pepper. Try & keep the top intact. I think its much prettier with it on v/s off.
Use a teaspoon and spoon out the seeds that are near the top of the pepper.
Squeeze the bag filled with goat cheese so you get enough cheese to fill the length of the pepper. Close the pepper around the cheese. Place in serving platter.
Repeat the process till all the peppers are used up.
Cook's Note - If I am eating alone there are days I don't bother peeling the skin off & its still quite good but though peeling the skin off is a little nit-picky and takes some patience it infinitely adds to the sweetness.
Once all the peppers are filled, place in the platter.
Drizzle with good quality olive oil & sprinkle with chopped parsley.
The strong pungent flavor of the moist goat cheese pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of the peppers.
This tapas is as wonderful & refreshing as they come. They are also super addictive & its impossible to stop popping these in your mouth down to the last morsel.
Can you say delicioso?
Recipe for
ROASTED SWEET PEPPERS WITH GOAT CHEESE & CHIVES
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves 4
16 mini peppers, in 3 or 4 batches of different colors
6 oz goat cheese
10 sprigs fresh chives (enough to yield 2 tbs chopped chives)
2-1/2 tbs good quality olive oil
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley for garnish
1/4 tsp salt
Preparation -
Fresh chives- Chop with a knife or kitchen shears and set aside
Parsley - Discard stems & finely chop leaves
Goat cheese filling - Place the goat cheese & chopped chives in a bowl with salt. Mix with a fork or spoon till well blended.
Once the goat cheese chives mixture is well mixed, stuff in a small plastic snack bag and seal shut. Snip one corner off so that when the bag is squeezed, the goat cheese will ooze out at about a 1/2" thickness.
Cooking method-
Place the mini sweet peppers on a baking tray lines with parchment.
Spray some non-stick spray over the parchment and place the peppers on it. Drizzle some olive oil on the peppers & toss.
Roast for 15-20 minutes till the skin is black & blistered. It will not be blistered all over but the peppers will definitely look soft & the scent of roasting peppers will fill the air.
Remove the roasted peppers from the oven and place in a Ziploc bag. Seal shut and allow them to steam. After 10 minutes. Open the bag and set aside to cool. You can also place in a bowl & cover with plastic wrap instead of a Ziploc bag.
Cook's Note - Don't allow them to sit too long & cool down completely. It makes the peeling more tedious.
Gently peel the charred skin off the peppers with clean fingers. Use kitchen shears & cut a long slit along the length of the pepper. Try & keep the top intact. I think its much prettier with it on v/s off.
Use a teaspoon and spoon out the seeds that are near the top of the pepper.
Assembly -
Squeeze the bag filled with goat cheese so you get enough cheese to fill the length of the pepper. Close the pepper around the cheese. Place in serving platter.
Repeat the process till all the peppers are used up.
Cook's Note - If I am eating alone there are days I don't bother peeling the skin off & its still quite good but though peeling the skin off is a little nit-picky and takes some patience it infinitely adds to the sweetness.
Once all the peppers are filled, place in the platter.
Drizzle with good quality olive oil & sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Do not re-heat.
Enjoy!
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