Stewed Peppers with Polenta #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

This dish has deliciously rich, bright flavors. It becomes an entire meal when served with cheesy polenta. But if you’re looking for something less involved, feel free to leave out the raisins, capers, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and honey. You can’t go wrong with jazzed up stewed peppers for a colorful main dish or as a more straightforward side without the bells and whistles.   

Note: The recipe calls for instant polenta and cautions against substituting regular or quick polenta. The polenta should be creamy and spoonable. If, after stirring in the cheese, yours is too thick, then thin it with a bit of water.

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Stewed Peppers with Polenta

Adapted from Milk Street Vegetables by Christopher Kimball

 

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 medium bell peppers (mix of colors), thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup raisins (or golden raisins or currents)

1/4 cup drained capers

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup instant polenta

1 cup (2 ounces) Parmesan or Asiago cheese, finely grated, plus more to serve

1 tablespoon honey

 

Directions

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl.

To the skillet, add the bell peppers, onion, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the raisins, capers, vinegar, and 3/4 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are fully softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. While whisking constantly, gradually add the polenta. Return to a boil, continuing to stir, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, adding more water to thin if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

When the pepper mixture is done, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the honey, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir the polenta to smooth it out and then pour it into a large serving dish. Top the polenta with the stewed peppers. Scatter the pine nuts and more cheese over the top.

 

click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 

 

Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 

Happy reading!

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.