Before we get to today’s Tuesday Tip, please visit with me at My Not So Vacant Shelf Blogspot later today for a chance to win a copy of THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE e-book!

And now, on to roasted peppers. Today’s tips are really more about how to make them! I know you can buy them in the store, but nothing tastes better than a freshly roasted pepper. Plus, you mostly find red roasted pepper in the stores, but once you master how to make them, you can roast up all kinds of peppers. Cubanelles, anchos, jalapenos, you name it. You’ll be thankful for it since with this knowledge you’ll be able to make all kinds of recipes, like:

Red Pepper Pesto
Pimento Cheese
Pasta with Sausages, tomatoes and roasted red peppers
Red Pepper Remoulade

You can mix in any kind of pepper in the recipes above or a favorite recipe. For example, how about a Roasted Pepper Alfredo? In fact, use this recipe I’m about to give you, thin it out with a little milk, heat and pour over pasta. YUMMY!! Trust me.

But first: How do you roast a pepper?

I do mine on the gas grill, but you can also do them in the broiler or like my grandma used to do, on the electric range element. That takes asbestos hands and you’ll likely set off your smoke alarm, so better to stick to the grill or broiler.

Wash the peppers and either place them on the grill or on a lightly oiled baking pan. If using the broiler, get it cranking and use a small ball of aluminum foil to prop open the door to keep the broiler going.

Place the peppers on the top rack directly below the broiler. If you’re using the gas grill, put them right on the lightly oiled grill racks.

Now, wait until the skin on the one side is black and charred, then flip to the next side. Keep on doing this until all the sides are blackened, but don’t overdo. The peppers will keep on cooking even after you take them off the rack/broiler.

Place the charred peppers in a plastic storage container and seal it. Let the peppers cool to room temperature. They will steam and finish cooking in the container and the steam will make taking the charred skin off that much easier.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skin by hand and toss. DO NOT WASH the peppers. They will lose a lot of their taste. Also, don’t throw away that nice brown liquid that’s in the plastic container. Mix that in to whatever you are making for a blast of smokey taste!

That’s it. If you want to be a purist, a little salt, olive oil and finely minced garlic over the peppers and you’re ready to eat with a hearty bread to soak up the oil and juices.

Red Pepper and Scallion Cream Cheese

1 large roasted pepper
Juice from the steaming
1 bar cream cheese
Chopped scallions

You can either mash the peppers by hand or using a food processor. Once mashed, add the liquid and the cream cheese and mix. To finish, hand blend the chopped scallions. Spread on a nicely toasted bagel, muffin or toast or add milk to thin and heat. Mix in some cooked pasta and you’ve got an easy Alfredo!