There are times when I cook dinner and find that I have created a very colorless meal. Back in my bachelor, pre-dietitian days, I guess I didn’t really care all that much. But now I am married to a mosaic artist who creates beautiful and incredibly colorful masterpieces (this is part of her latest kitchen installation). Color is important!
I also now know the importance of colors in making a meal highly nutritious. Take the pepper, for example. Did you know that a red pepper has almost 9 times the amount of vitamin A and twice as much vitamin C as a green pepper? This is because a red pepper is just a very ripe green pepper. The longer a vegetable stays on the vine, the more nutrients it picks up along the way. Where do yellow and orange peppers lie on the nutritional spectrum? Well, they are right in the middle. Green peppers turn to yellow, then to orange, and then to red as they ripen. This is also the reason many people can digest a red pepper, but have stomach problems when they eat a green pepper. It’s the equivalent of eating a green banana!
If you are on the way to making a meal without a lot of color (i.e. baked cod or chicken) add this warm Pan-fried Pepper Salad with Feta and Olives to the plate. It is easy to make and adds a delicious rainbow of colors and nutrition to any meal.
Pan-fried Pepper Salad with Feta and Olives
Ingredients
- 4 peppers (mix of red, yellow, and orange)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup mixed olives (green and black)
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté peppers in olive oil until skins begin to brown.
- Add peppers and rest of ingredients to a bowl. Salt and pepper, to taste.
Nutrition
About the Author: Bill Bradley, R.D.
