Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Teriyaki Peppers

Colorful bell peppers coated in a teriyaki-seasoned sauce

Teriyaki Peppers from Farm Fresh Feasts

Peppers are such a useful garden vegetable.  They can be thrown into meals all day long, from breakfast scrambled eggs to supper spaghetti sauce.   They can be eaten raw as a vehicle to convey dip into the mouth,  or baked as a container for additional filling. They can be frozen [rinse, dry, chop, freeze on a tray like a berry before transferring into a bag/jar] and used in baked dishes year round.

Teriyaki Peppers from Farm Fresh Feasts

Rarely, though, do peppers shine on their own.  In my continuing quest to add vegetable side dishes to my repertoire I'd like to share these easy Teriyaki Peppers. The sauce can be customized to meat-eating or vegetarian meals, and you can use whatever alliums you want. I used leeks, but I'll make them next with shallots since my garden shallots are abundant.

Teriyaki Peppers from Farm Fresh Feasts

The farmers in our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share grow lovely purple peppers in addition to the more common green ones. I was fascinated to learn that the purple peppers, when ripe, become orange (while the green peppers ripen to red). How cool is that? What a rainbow you could make--a medley of ripe and unripe bell peppers. I feel a pizza coming on . . . first, let's have a side dish.

Teriyaki Peppers from Farm Fresh Feasts
Blown out photo, but shows the set up for the sauce.

Teriyaki Peppers

1 cup sliced leeks, tender parts only, can be thawed from frozen (or any other onion kin)
4 cups chopped bell peppers
1 Tablespoon cooking fat of your choice (I used olive oil)
½ cup (4 ounces) beef stock (or vegetable stock if you're going meatless)
3 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté leeks and peppers for 5 to 8 minutes until starting to soften. In a screw top jar, combine beef stock, teriyaki sauce, and cornstarch--shake to mix well.  Increase the heat to medium high, pour the sauce over the vegetables, and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes until sauce is thickened and clings to veggies.
Serve with rice.
I added some leftover cooked steak strips to the skillet for the last few minutes, to heat through.

Teriyaki Peppers from Farm Fresh Feasts

This post is shared on What's Cookin' WednesdayTasty Tuesdays

6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Lydia,
      I will always crave hoisin sauce, but teriyaki is coming a close second.
      Thanks!

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  2. This is my kind of dinner! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karly,
      Easy and tasty means a good dinner to me. Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  3. Ok, I really love the idea of making peppers a side dish all on their own. Traditionally I've only ever used them as an accompaniment in the meal or a vehicle for dip...mmmm, dip. This is really clever and a wonderful idea.

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    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      Thank you! I'd be delighted to use peppers as a dip vehicle, because, well, dip.
      'Nuf said.

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