Mediterranian inspired comfort food adds excitement to everyday food
Baked potatoes with butter and/or sour cream are good. Broccoli and cheese are also good on the humble potato fresh from the oven.
But, ho hum! Bor-ring!
I like baked potatoes, but I don't want to eat them the same way every time. I want each experience to be different. And, why not?
Playing around in the kitchen the other day, I was making a baked potato and looked around the room for inspiration. What I came up with was a potato that was a Mediterranean-inspired topping that has a smoky roasted flavor that is just perfect the way it is, but that would take well to being coupled with a little sour cream or bleu cheese if you wanted to do it that way. I think simple is better, but as with anything in a vegetarian diet, the choice is yours...decide how you want to eat this tasty treat.
Give this a try, it may become one of your very favorite toppings.
Roasted Red Pepper and Green Olive Baked Potato
4 potaotes, baked
1 red pepper
16-20 green olives
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon each of oregano, rosemary, basil and thyme
sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
Take the seeds and stem from the red pepper and open it up. Brush the inside and outside with olive oil.
Place inside down on an oiled baking dish.
Wipe the excess brine from the olives and brush them with the olive oil. Place on the baking dish as well.
Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, basil and thyme.
Put under the broiler on low heat for 5 minutes, flip the pepper over and move the olives around. Broil for another two minutes. The skin of the pepper will begin to blacken in the corners and the flesh will be soft.
Slice the pepper into four equal pieces.
Open the potatoes, brush the insides with a bit of olive oil.
Top each potato with one of the pieces of pepper, add 4 or 5 olives and sprinkle with a little bit of Parmesan cheese.
Put under the broiler for another 2 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Vegetarian. (Vegan if you leave out the Parmesan.)
