Ingredient of the Week: Red Pepper

red pepper

Coming up with ideas for Ingredient of the Week isn’t always easy. I usually choose something I have laying around my apartment so that I don’t have to buy more ingredients. I also try to use ingredients that most people would have in their apartments already so that it gives them the motivation to try these recipes.

That said, I am running out of ideas for ingredients. Please comment below if you have any suggestions.

This week my sister suggested I use red pepper as my chosen ingredient. When she first she suggested red peppers, I had no idea how I would make a breakfast, lunch, and dinner out of them. But after trying the three below, I think I was successful. It wasn’t a bad idea after all.

(I used red bell pepper for two of the recipes and cayenne pepper for the third, which is not the same as red bell peppers, but it’s still a red pepper, right?)

So, maybe the breakfast I chose is a bit of a stretch on the classic breakfast. However, another alternative to the breakfast I provided is a red pepper omelette, which is consistent with the red bell pepper theme.

Cayenne pepper adds some spice to your life and red bell peppers provide Vitamin A, C, and E as well as B6. They are low in both cholesterol and saturated fat, and contain dietary fiber. Working peppers into your diet will not only benefit your health, but also add some color to your dishes.

As usual, I have listed an option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although that does not mean each one has to remain in that category. If you want to eat rice for breakfast, be my guest.

This week’s recipes are all fairly simple and do not feature many ingredients so feel free to play around with them a bit and add your own flavors.

red pepper
Sweet and Spicy Toast. | Photo by Samantha Wood

Breakfast
Sweet and Spicy Toast
Total time: 5 minutes, serves 1

Ingredients
1 slice of bread
1/2 teaspoon butter
sprinkle cayenne pepper
sprinkle cinnamon

Directions
Toast bread until crispy brown or to your satisfaction. Spread butter on toast. Sprinkle on cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

Depending on how spicy you would like the toast, adjust the spices accordingly. Cinnamon and pepper create a sweet, spicy taste that is reminiscent of holidays and cinnamon gum.

red pepper
Rice and Pepper Pita. | Photo by Samantha Wood

Lunch
Rice and Pepper Pita
Total time: 10 minutes, serves 1

Ingredients
1 pita
1 1/2 cups of leftover rice mixture from dinner below
sprinkle cayenne pepper

Directions
Cut pita in half and place in oven. Broil at a low temperature for 5-7 minutes, or until pita is crispy and browned. While the pita is broiling, add a small sprinkle of cayenne pepper and reheat the rice mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Once the pita is toasted to your liking, take it out of the oven and spoon the rice mixture evenly into two halves of pita.

This meal is great because it takes leftovers and turns them into something new. Rice is versatile in that it can be eaten alone or with other foods. So I might be cheating slightly in saying that this is a different meal, but it tastes completely different on a pita than on its own.

red pepper
Cinnamon Pepper Rice. | Photo by Samantha Wood

Dinner
Cinnamon Pepper Rice
Total time: 50 minutes, serves 4

Ingredients
1 cup rice
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Place water, vegetable broth, and rice into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir, and then cook, covered, on medium low for about 40 minutes. You will know it is done when all the liquid has been absorbed. Once it has finished cooking, stir in pepper and cinnamon.

I was originally planning on adding more spices to this one, but the cinnamon and pepper were such a great balance of spicy and sweet that I did not want to ruin it. However, feel free to add more spices as you see fit.

About Samantha Wood

I am a foodie who loves chocolate, dogs and California. I hope to write for a food magazine one day. Let me know if you have any suggestions for Ingredient of the Week.

View all posts by Samantha Wood →

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