Grilled Peppers

Here's an appetizer, or side dish, that can be cooked on an outside grill or a stove top grill pan. It can also be prepared in the oven, as a roasted vegetable. No matter how they're cooked, the veggies can be served immediately from the oven, or allowed to sit and served warm, or made ahead of time and served cold from the refrigerator. Whichever way they're served, these always prove popular!

Ingredients:

2 pounds peppers, either mini peppers or regular size
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
several grinds of sea salt

Directions:

Wash peppers. Cut peppers in half, then remove seeds and membranes. Leave mini peppers in halves, or cut regular size peppers into strips. Toss peppers with olive oil. Spray a grill or grill pan with extra virgin olive oil and place over medium heat. Add peppers to pan, along with the balsamic vinegar, and cook until grill marks appear and the peppers are soft and pliable. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Add a grind of salt and taste a pepper. If needed, add another grind of salt.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Do wash the peppers thoroughly. If they're not organic, they may have been waxed, so you'll want to remove the wax. You can use a scrub brush that's designated for use as a veggie-cleaning only brush, or use a specially designed produce wash.