Eating Well: Garlic-Marinated Roasted Red Peppers

Create a colorful cuisine by garnishing a variety of foods with this treat, which is rich in antioxidants. It needs to marinate for at least two hours, so plan ahead.

• 1 sweet red bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil

1. Put the red pepper directly on your gas or electric stove burner on high heat. Using tongs, turn the pepper as it chars. When most of the skin is black and blistered, place the pepper into a paper bag for 5 minutes to “sweat” the skin off. Scrape off what skin you can and wipe off the remainder. You won’t be able to rid the pepper completely of its skin, so don’t be tempted to rinse it.

2. Cut the pepper open and drain any juice into a bowl. (The fresher the pepper, the more juice.) Remove the seeds and ribs. Cut the pepper into quarters, lengthwise. Stack the quarters and cut them into matchstick-sized pieces.

3. Put the pepper, pressed garlic, and olive oil into the bowl with the pepper juice and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to several days), turning occasionally.

Debbie Whittaker demonstrates her healthy cooking style as the “Herb Gourmet” in Denver, Colorado.

Click here for the main article, Eating Well: The Herbal Path To Daily Health.