Red bell peppers are not used nearly as much as they should be.

They are crisp to the bite and surprisingly sweet, which means they bring some unique textures and flavors to a raw salad or a cooked dish. Green peppers are simply unripe red peppers and don’t boast half the nutritional benefits. So, when it comes to peppers, don’t go green – go red!

One medium red bell pepper contains 37 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber.

The most salient nutritional properties of the red bell pepper are that it offers 75 percent of your daily dose of vitamin A and 253 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin C. Vitamin C is touted for its ability to strengthen the immune system, but is beneficial in so many other ways. The powerful antioxidant promotes detoxification, kills bad bacteria and viruses, helps the body deal with stress, promotes a healthy colon, and is essential in promoting iron absorption in the body. Vitamin A is also essential for immune health. It also staves off viruses, fights cancer and tumor growth, and may even cause HIV to retreat in its presence.

Red bell pepper is a great source of vitamin B6 and magnesium. Together, the two have exhibited the ability to reduce anxiety. Red peppers are red due to lycopene, a carotene that protects against cancer and heart disease.

Don’t look past red pepper; instead, embrace the good deeds it has in store for your body and add some sweetness and color to your dishes at the same time.

Photo Credit: Live4Soccer (L4S)

The post The Incredible Healing Power of Red Bell Pepper appeared first on EcoSalon.

In my farmers’ markets right now, there are piles upon piles of peppers: Gypsy peppers, banana peppers, poblano peppers, and many unnamed varieties.

My challenge is that I do not like them raw and, even cooked, they are a bit hard for me to love.

I think that is because all year round, misguided restaurants put peppers in salads, in Thai dishes, in pastas, and on pizzas. My personal pet peeve is red pepper hummus and they seem to be the go-to garnish when the cook needs something red. Unfortunately, like every out-of-season vegetable, hothouse bell peppers flown from far away don’t have a whole lot of anything interesting to say.

Can’t we just boycott them except in the fall? And then celebrate them by including them thoughtfully in seasonal dishes? Let’s do it! Here are three recipes to get you started on your pepper celebration.

From Food and Wine, here’s a one-dish meal featuring braised chicken and olives.

Eating Well gives us a savory lentil salad that I would make a big batch of to eat throughout the week.

And for something completely different, Savory Sweet Life brings us a simple sweet red pepper relish. Make up a bowl and serve it in the winter if you must have red peppers.

Image: Andrew Morrell

The post Pick a Peck: It’s Time for Sweet Peppers appeared first on EcoSalon.