Roasting Red Bell Peppers and Garlic

These are two awesome things to keep on hand in the freezer for cooking and recipes. Roasted red bells can be used in SO many things to add a wonderful flavor and roasted garlic, I almost always use my roasted garlic in place of plain minced...NOM! You may never use plain garlic again!

Take as many red bells as you have, cut in half lengthwise, seed and take out stem and veins. Sprinkle with olive oil and kosher salt, place inside down on a foil lined baking sheet and pop into preheated hot oven. I put mine on around 400-450 degrees or so.

Let 'em cook until your house starts to smell good and the bells are getting a black charred look on them. Just a little, not completely black. Depending on the oven, about 20-30 minutes or so. No real definite time on these, as all bells vary in size and thickness. Go by your nose, if it's good. :)

Pop them into a bowl (with juice from the pan! Good flavor there!), cover with plastic wrap and let them cool to touch.

Skins will practically slid off! Don't rinse or skin under running water, you'll lose so much lovely flavor!

Give them a rough slice or chop and put into a freezer baggie and pop them (with their juice) into the freezer.
There you have it! Roasted red bell peppers ready to go whenever you are. They thaw quick, or you can just cut off (easy when frozen) however much you want and toss into stews, chilis, just about any dish roasted peppers would enhance.  I'm addicted to these things!


Now for the Roasted Garlic!

Take off some of the papery skin on a head of garlic, but not too much, you don't want all the little bulbs to fall out yet. 
Using a sharp knife, cut off about 1/3 of the top, place on square of foil, sprinkle with olive oil and kosher salt, scrunch up the foil around the garlic and pop into your hot oven.
I usually do the red bells and garlic at the same time, though the garlic can take longer, sometimes as long as 45 minutes.

It's done whenever your house smells goooood and the scrunched up pouch of garlic is squishy.
Let cool and you can take the garlic and just squish out the insides into a freezer baggie.
The frozen garlic is very easy to dip into without thawing.

You can also add a couple sprigs of Rosemary in with the garlic, olive oil and salt, for Rosemary Roasted Garlic. Good in pork and chicken dishes.

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Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken


1 cup uncooked penne pasta
olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in about one-inch cubes
2 roma tomatoes; squeeze out pulp and chop tomato
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced into half-moons.
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated parmesan for garnish (about 1/4 cup)

Sauce:
1 inch slice off an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese
1 cup chicken broth (probably won't use it all)


Cook pasta in salted water, drain (do not rinse), reserving about a cup or so if the cooking liquid, set aside.
In large skillet, brown chicken in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring occasionally.

Season with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, half the basil, and salt and pepper to your taste.

When chicken starts to turn a golden brown, but isn't done yet, add the zucchini and onion and turn heat down to medium-low, continuing to stir occasionally.


Make a well in the center of the chicken and vegetables and add the cream cheese, stirring gently with a wooden spatula as it melts.

Slowly add a bit of chicken broth while stirring, until the cheese is melted and has created a thick sauce with the broth. Adding too much chicken broth will make a thin sauce, so stop when it's a consistency you like. I like mine thick.

Add remaining basil and more salt & pepper if needed.

Turn heat to low. Add penne and tomato and stir everything together.

*If your sauce is a bit too thin, or too thick tasting (not consistency, but taste), add a couple tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid to thin the taste out. The pasta sauce will thicken back up, so a couple tablespoons won't ruin the consistency of your sauce.

Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve with a tasty loaf of garlic bread!