Last fall, I spent my semester remotely, mainly at my grandparents house.  Amidst an intense academic course load, my grandparents fueled me in the best way: with food.  One of the sure-hit Tuesday-night dinner was my favorite fish, Dorada, with pressure cooker caramelized onion brown rice, and some sort of vegetable side.  This could range from artichokes (as per the last post), or peperonata.  

Peperonata is an Italian dish made with sautéing bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and thyme.  You can serve it as a side or condiment.  

As I learn more about nutrition and the food system, I’m always amazed at how my grandparents’ innate “diet” has always been healthy and simple.  You don’t need to be a skilled chef to cook healthily, you need access (and quite honestly, the means) to quality ingredients. 

Here are the main ingredients:

• Red peppers.  These vegetables are packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene, which supports skin cells and eye health.
• Olive oil.  Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning in order to reap the benefits and absorption of Swiss chard, fat is required.  This is why pairing vitamin D-rich foods with a high-quality fat, like olive oil, flax seeds, avocado, fish, chia seeds, or nuts is important. The predominant fatty acid in olive oil is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid (73% of oil content), and studies suggest that oleic acid reduces inflammation.  The main anti-inflammatory come from the antioxidants, particularly oleocanthal, which has been shown to work similarly to ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug, according to a study.
• Onions. Onions are surprisingly high in vitamin C, which is involved in regulating immune health, collagen production, tissue repair and iron absorption

Ready to cook? The journey is simple:

1. In a pan, pour some olive oil over medium high heat. Add in sliced onions and salt. Stir them infrequently, until they achieve some softness and caramel tone.
2. Put in a spoon of tomato paste and gently fry. You can use pomodoro salato instead, if you have this on hand.
3. Add in sliced peppers and cover with the pan lid. This will quicken up the softening process. Add splashes of water here and there. Add in roughly chopped garlic and red pepper flakes (or I used a sliced Thai chili).
4. Once the peppers are softerning, add in some thyme (or whatever herbs you like), and for a slightly sour flare, I like to add a splash of white wine vinegar or chardonnay vinegar.
5. Raise the heat and uncover the pan. Let the “sauce” turn into an emulsion. If wanted, you can add extra olive oil here. Otherwise, you’re all set!

How can you pair peperonata? The opportunities are endless, but here are a couple pointers:

• Put it on a thick piece of toast, with tofu ricotta and extra olive oil of course
• Another toast variation could be to add it to a chickpea-olive style bruschetta
• Add it to your paella
• Immerse it in your spaghetti aglio e olio
• Serve it as a side for polenta
• Today, I paired it with brown rice and poached haddock with olives