Recipes: Three-Peppers Slaw and more

Bell peppers are part of the chili family but, unlike their spicier counterparts, such as jalapeños and habaneros, they don’t contain capsaicin, the compound that gives other chilies their heat. All bell peppers start off green and can turn red, orange or yellow as they ripen and their flesh becomes sweeter. At their peak in late summer and early fall, bell peppers are available in a rainbow of colors.

Choose peppers that feel heavy for their size and have glossy, smooth skin. Wash well and buy organic whenever possible — bell peppers are among the vegetables grown with the most pesticides. When shopping for peppers to stuff, pick ones that are uniform in size and shape for even cooking. Refrigerate them in a ventilated bag in the crisper, up to 5 days.

Bell peppers’ mild flavor and satisfying crunch make serving them raw a popular choice, but roasting, grilling, baking or stir-frying them brings out a deeper, sweeter taste. To swiftly stem and seed a pepper, stand it upright, then slice off the sides, cutting from top to bottom, leaving the core, ribs and seeds behind.

Three-Pepper Slaw

Makes 4 servings

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1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 medium bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 2 green), stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 celery stalk, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add bell peppers, celery and thyme; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Note: Serve this rainbow slaw alongside burgers, or toss with tuna or shredded chicken.

Nutritional information per serving: 94 calories; 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 1 gram protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber

Fusilli with Chicken and Peppers

Makes 4 servings

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound fusilli or other short, twisted pasta

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 pound chicken cutlets

3 medium bell peppers (1 yellow, 2 orange), stemmed, seeded and sliced into 3/4-inch strips

1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden and cooked through flipping once. Transfer to a plate and let rest 5 minutes. With two forks, shred chicken.

3. Wipe out skillet and heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add bell peppers and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and softened, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. Add vegetables and chicken to pasta. Toss, adding enough pasta water to coat pasta, and season with salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle with oil.

Nutritional information per serving: 528 calories; 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat); 37 grams protein; 72 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber

Vegetarian, bell peppers with Bill & Sheila