Saturday Sides: Balsamic Bell Peppers

[Saturday Sides is a weekly feature I run to help you combat the side dish blahs. Check here every Saturday to see what’s new and different you can add to your dinner table. Or, you can subscribe here so that you never miss a Saturday Sides Recipe.]

Welcome, welcome, welcome! It would seem that I have a lot of new subscribers this week, a good portion of them coming from the Frozen Assests Group on Yahoo Groups. I’d like to take a moment to thank you guys for checking me out. Oh, and also, to say:

ACK! I don’t think I can deal with the pressure! What if I post a terrible recipe?!? What if you think I’m funny looking and have bad breath? AAAAACK!

Hmm. I should really take a shower and brush my teeth. Oh wait, that’s right, you can’t see me. Yay! I love the Internet: I can talk to you with dirty hair and my “What the Duck?” t-shirt on (it’s covered in yellow ducks) without offending anyone. So, maybe I should just get to the recipe and make sure it’s really good.

Actually, I’ve got a good stock pile of Saturday Sides just itching to jump off my keyboard and onto your computer screen. So, I was able to go through all my pictures and pick my favorite to share with you today. I even considered running a poll to find out what you guys would prefer. But, in the end, I figured it out on my own. Being that I am an only child, I am highly independent and industrious. It comes from years of figuring out how to play Twister all by myself.

I’m posting a brand new basic recipe for Balsamic Bell Peppers. I loved these. They made me sing “Wild Thing, I think I love you!” You can definitely play with this recipe a bit. Garlic, onion, and mushrooms would all be exceptional additions to this delectable Saturday Side. Have fun with this one!

Balsamic Bell Peppers

4 Bell Peppers, (combination of red and yellow) seeds removed and thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
4 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1-2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Wash, pare, and slice vegetables. Cut the zucchini into “coins” and the peppers into strips. I used two red peppers and two yellow peppers, but you can use more of one or the other. It’s up to you! I mentioned this last week, but it’s worth mentioning it again; try to get the pieces close to the same size and shape as possible, since big pieces take longer to cook than small pieces. You want everything to finish at the same time.

Place all vegetables into a large bowl and drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar. Balsamic vinegar gives the vegetables a tangy bite. If you like tangy stuff, use more, if you want the taste to be more mellow, use less. You’ll find Balsamic Vinegar right next to the regular white distilled vinegar – it costs a little more than the white stuff, but it’s not crazy expensive or anything.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over vegetables. I know some of you might be tempted to skip the salt, and I realize that it can cause some dietary issues. But, salt really helps enhance the flavor of peppers and zucchini, so don’t skip it completely.

In other news, I was also making bread when I made these veggies so you might notice that I have flour on my wrist in this picture. I guess that’s what happens when you’re multitasking. I’d share the bread recipe, but I’m not happy with it yet. It’s still in the “development” phase. Read: it still tastes like crap.

Mix the vegetables to coat and let marinate in the oil and vinegar for about 30 minutes. Stir the vegetables every few minutes to help the oil and vinegar re-distribute.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil.
Add vegetables all at once. Cook, tossing frequently, until tender and blackened in spots, about 10-15 minutes.