You can prepare mini sweet peppers many different ways. These peppers can replace Bell peppers if you prefer the flavor or hot peppers if you do not enjoy the heat. The texture is the same making the small, colorful peppers a great addition to salads or main courses in order to brighten the appearance and add a bit of “pop” to the flavor.
Sautéing Mini Sweet Peppers
Cut the top off the pepper in order to remove the stem. This leaves the top half of the pepper open with the seeds exposed.
Rinse the mini peppers under water getting all the seeds out of the center. You can wash the small seeds directly down the drain.
Cut the peppers into small slices. You can do this so they are longer by cutting the length of the pepper or shorter by cutting the width. If you cut the width you will get nice mini pepper circles.
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Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. The oil should be ready in about three to four minutes.
Dump the cut peppers in the pan with the oil and move the pieces around with a large spoon.
Cook the peppers for approximately four or five minutes, moving them around so the sides do not burn. The peppers should be soft but not mushy. The texture will still be slightly crispy upon biting down.
Baking Sweet Peppers
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the mini peppers vertically from stem to point on one side.
Open the pepper up gently and rinse out all of the seeds.
Place the mini peppers on a baking sheet and put them in the middle rack of the oven.
Cook for eight to ten minutes. The peppers should just start to soften but not be mushy.
Remove the sheet from the oven and put the peppers on a serving plate. Serve immediately for best taste.
Tip
When baking peppers you can stuff them with things such as meat or couscous for a main dish.
You can let baked or sautéed peppers cool and use the slices in salads. The mini peppers can also be used warm over meat dishes or sautéed with other vegetables for a side dish.
Stuffing mini sweet peppers with cheese can make a nice, non-spicy alternative to Jalapeno Poppers.
Warning
Be careful when picking out sweet peppers as some grocery stores have stocked peppers in the wrong place. Smelling the peppers works to verify the vegetables are not the spicy variety.
References
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Pharaba Witt has worked as a writer in Los Angeles for more than 10 years. She has written for websites such as USA Today, Red Beacon, LIVESTRONG, WiseGeek, Web Series Network, Nursing Daily and major film studios. When not traveling she enjoys outdoor activities such as backpacking, snowboarding, ice climbing and scuba diving. She is constantly researching equipment and seeking new challenges.