Family Chow Hall

I’ve been wanting to experiment with roasting red peppers for awhile now, and yesterday I had a little extra time on my hands, so I decided to try a little snack dip made with red pepper.

Red peppers are much sweeter than the regular green ones, so even though you have to pay more for them, they are worth it. Of course, I like green peppers also, but for different uses. No matter which color you choose, bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A.

Roasting the pepper was fun - I don’t have a gas stove, and didn’t want to light my grill for this, so I turned my oven to broil and did it that way. I placed the washed, uncut pepper on a metal cake pan and placed under the broiler. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then it began to brown. Using tongs, I turned it several times to brown/blacken the peel all over the pepper. Then I placed it in a brown paper lunch sack and folded the top down to let it steam. While waiting, I took my daughter down to her friend’s house a block away. When I got back, I carefully peeled it and discarded the skin. I split it open and scooped the seeds out. Finally I chopped it up. What I had was tiny chunks of the soft, sweet meat of my red bell pepper.

Then I had to decide exactly what to do with it. Using sour cream and some other stuff, I ended up with a dip that my husband and son finished off during supper. It really was quite yummy, comparable to spinach dip but with that mildly sweet red pepper flavor, and a bit less salty.

Roasted Red Pepper Party Dip
prep. time: 15 minutes

1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, tops cut off
2 or 3 artichoke hearts from the can
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 t. garlic powder
OR 1 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. dried dill weed

Chop the pepper, onion, and artichoke in a chopper or finely chop by hand. In a separate bowl, cream the sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise together. Add the pepper mixture and the flavoring and stir to combine it all thoroughly.

Use Kashi crackers, breadsticks, raw vegetables such as carrots, celery and cucumber, or even potato or corn chips for dipping devices.

This will make a great dip for holiday parties and potlucks. When you take something homemade and delicious to a gathering, you get a great feeling of satisfaction when you see or hear people exclaiming about how yummy it is!

Enjoy!