3 Green peppers are in season, as evidenced by the 10 peppers in my farm share box plus 8 more from my garden!
Usually I think of using green peppers as a sidekick, e.g., in a breakfast scramble with tomatoes, onions and chiles, in classic Chicken Cacciatore and of course in about every Mexican dish.
I’ve never seen or used green peppers solo, although I’ve always wondered if they couldn’t at least co-star in a dish. Hence my experiment last week with Gingery Green Peppers and Carrots, where the carrots’ sweetness complimented the peppers nicely.
Gingery Green Peppers and Carrots
While I almost always begin a recipe by sauteing the onions, in this recipe I start by simmering the carrots in a little bit of water since they always take so long to soften. Once they have a headstart, I add and saute the onions. If you are using big carrots, cut in half vertically before slicing to cook faster.
Step 1: Start Cooking Carrots
- 2 cups carrots, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup water
Combine in a small to medium skillet and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat then quickly turn down to low and simmer about 5 to 8 minutes, until carrots are just becoming tender when stuck with a fork, adding an extra tablespoon or two of water if necessary to prevent burning. When carrots are just tender, remove lid and cook off any remaining water.
Step 2: Saute Aromatics
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 small onion, diced to 1/2″
- 2 cups green bell pepper, diced to 1/2″
Turn heat to medium, push carrots to sides of pan and add oil to center of pan. Once it is hot but not smoking, add onions and saute a couple minutes, then add pepper and saute another 5 minutes until just becoming tender.
Step 3: Saute Ginger
- 1-2 tsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Push vegetables to sides of pan and add 1-2 tsp. coconut oil to center. When just warm (not hot), stir ginger into oil and cook about a minute or two until fragrant. Stir everything together and continue sauteing about 3 to 5 more minutes until vegetables are tender to taste. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two or water and/or cover pan to soften vegetables to taste.
Step 4: Season
Season vegetables with just salt and pepper or have some fun with either Chinese or Thai flavorings
Here’s the Chinese-style combo I used (measurements are just a starting point; add to taste)
- 1-3 tsp. San-J Szechaun sauce for some heat–go slow–it’s quite spicy!
- 2-3 tsp. soy sauce for saltiness
- 1-2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice for a tart zing
- 1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Or try one or more of these Thai seasonings (add to taste)
- Thai fish sauce for saltiness
- Siracha for heat
- Freshly squeeze lime juice
- Savory Spice’s Thai Green Chile or Red Thai Chile spice blend
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Got any other seasoning ideas? Put them in the Comments!
