Recipe: Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato Salad

In the summer, when I don't want to heat up the house, I do most of my roasting on the grill outside. I blacken peppers right on the grill and use the indirect heat method for roasting tomatoes and the like.

ROASTED BELL PEPPER AND TOMATO SALAD
Source: The Fat Free Italian Cookbook by Anne Sheasby
Serves 4

3 red bell peppers
6 large plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce black and green olives and extra chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place peppers on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the skins are almost blackened.

Add the tomatoes to the baking sheet and bake for another 5 minutes. Place the peppers in a plastic bag, close the top loosely, trapping in the steam, and then set them aside with the tomatoes until they are cool enough to handle.

Carefully pull off and discard the skin from the peppers. Remove and discard the seeds, then chop the peppers and tomatoes roughly and place them together in a mixing bowl.

Add the chile flakes, onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle on the parsley. Mix well, then transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle the olives and extra parsley on top to garnish. Serve the salad at room temperature.