Tomato Feta And Red Pepper Cazuela Recipes

BAKED FETA-MARINARA DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a blender, process marinara and piquillo peppers until smooth; transfer to a small (about 8-by-6-inch) heatproof dish. Top with feta.
• Bake until bubbly around edges, about 20 minutes. Garnish with basil and red-pepper flakes, and serve with crostini.

TOMATO, FETA, AND RED PEPPER CAZUELA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place peppers directly over a gas flame (or char under the broiler), turning occasionally, until blackened and blistering, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate, and let stand until cool. Scrape skins off with a paring knife or paper towel. Remove and discard stems, ribs, and seeds. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Divide feta between 4 small baking dishes or cazuelas (or use one 10-inch ovenproof skillet); top with tomatoes, roasted peppers, zest, and olives. Season with pepper and drizzle with oil.
• Cover each dish with parchment-lined foil and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. (Or, if using a skillet, place directly on oven rack.) Bake until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes; uncover and continue baking until cheese is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Lightly char pitas over flame (or under broiler) and serve on the side.

BAKED STUFFED RED PEPPERS WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, FETA, AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in top third. Place bell pepper halves, cut sides up, in a baking dish. Toss together tomatoes, feta, thyme, and basil in a medium bowl; season with black pepper. Fill each pepper with tomato and feta mixture, dividing evenly. Drizzle each with oil.
• Bake stuffed peppers, covered with aluminum foil, until they begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake until tomatoes begin to burst and cheese turns light brown, 13 to 15 minutes more. Remove stuffed peppers from oven, and serve warm.

GREAT APPETIZER: OVEN BAKED FETA WITH TOMATOES & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
• Slice the pearl tomatoes horizontally (each one in four pieces) and place on paper towels to drain. (If you are using one large tomato, cut the end pieces and slice the rest in six slices). After 3-4 minutes, turn them over and place on new paper towels. Cut the pepper into four rings and set aside.
• Oil well a small, shallow ceramic baking dish (or four individual ceramic ramekins) and place half of the tomato slices at the bottom. Sprinkle with some sea salt and crushed pepper flakes. Top with half the bell pepper slices.
• Arrange the two Feta pieces on top of the tomato/pepper layer, place the remaining tomato slices on top of each piece of cheese, and place the rest of the bell pepper rings on the tomato. Drizzle liberally with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with oregano and some more pepper flakes, and transfer to the middle of the oven.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the feta turns a light-golden color and the oil is sizzling. If you want to deepen the color, you can place the dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end of the cooking time.
• Brush some olive oil on the slices of good, multigrain bread, and grill on both sides. Serve the baked feta immediately with some warm grilled bread.