Peppers and Potatoes!

Although summer is wrapping up and the fall vegetables are beginning to take over, my basil plant is still cooking and I am still tempted to fill my fridge with those wonderful bell peppers.  But I am getting a little burnt out on pesto (hard to believe!).  So I made a different kind of pesto-sauce the other night that was delicious!  I wish it had lasted longer!  If you are looking for a fun appetizer dish or something different to snack on with a glass of wine, this is something you should try.

First I roasted a red pepper, 2-3 mushrooms, and a few big slices of onion in the broiler by lightly coating them in olive oil and let them thoroughly cook (the mushrooms and onions take about half the time of the pepper).  When the pepper was charred on all sides, I removed it from the oven, put it in a covered bowl and let it steam for about 10 minutes.  This process makes the pepper nice and soft.  Run it under cold water and the skin will peel right off!

I removed the seeds and blended the roasted red pepper in my food processor with the mushrooms and onions, basil leaves (about a handful?), Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup), olive oil (a few tablespoons) and black/red pepper.   I dipped slices of baguette, but you could also dip pita chips or crackers.  It had a great, fresh flavor that was a little more complex than regular pesto.

Mr. PT and I turned this into a meal by cooking up some sweet potato fries as well.  I know I have covered these in a previous entry, but in case you missed it, these are incredibly easy and delicious!  Just cut the sweet potatoes into slices, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper (or brown sugar if you prefer them to be sweet) and cook them in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until soft on the inside, crispy on the outside!

Sweet Potato Fries

Yum!

Combine with a fat burning, stress relieving kick-boxing class.  Do not be intimidated!  The instructor is usually good about giving you different options of intensity so you can go at your own pace.  After a long and stressful day at school, this class was exactly what I needed!