The end of summer always has an element of sadness to it. It’s time for everyone to dust off their beach feet, say goodbye to those juicy strawberries, and say hello to early Halloween advertising. Every year September seems to sneak up on me. It gives me that feeling that I forgot to do something and it’s now too late. Maybe it’s because it’s so hot in Arizona, so I tend to put my head down and get it over with. Or maybe it’s because I’m trying to do all of the things I put off earlier in the summer. When I see that 9/1 just around the corner, a slew of questions frantically rush into my mind: Did I gorge myself on enough nectarines and watermelon? Did I buy as much 10 for $1 sweet corn as I could have? Did I miss anyone’s birthday?(As I typed this, I realized that my boyfriend’s birthday is 2 weeks away—eek!) Did I do anything fun?
This year, the answer to the first question is yes. I hate to say that I overindulged on summer fruits, but I did, in fact, overindulge. To be more specific, the nectarine selection has been really bleak in Arizona for the past few years, but it finally made a comeback. This year I made it a point to feast on the fruit until I was absolutely sick of it; now I won’t desire it until next year! I wholeheartedly believe in this seasonal foods strategy and will not be convinced otherwise.
For my last hurrah of this summer season, I decided to go to Sprouts and pick up all of the vegetables that were on sale so I could make a late summer salad. I would have gotten green beans, but the huge table that is usually piled high was completely picked over, leaving only the weird mutilated beans. I ended up buying zucchini, corn, an English cucumber, radishes, and red bell peppers for 77 cents each! (FYI: If you don’t normally buy red bell peppers, that’s a snag.) I was pretty happy with my haul and was excited to challenge myself to a Chopped-like challenge of using all of the ingredients in my basket to create something new.
I ended up being inspired by the chili lime flavors of Tajín, the Mexican seasoning you can sprinkle on cucumbers and mango. I wanted some tangy sweetness to drizzle over my summer veggies and was excited to try out a technique I had seen on a Netflix show about tacos—gas stove roasting red peppers.
I have to say that roasting the red peppers like this took a lot longer than I anticipated. It also made my fingers cramp up from gripping the tongs for so long, and I could barely use my fingers to peel the skin off the pepper afterward. However, the dressing tasted so good, I couldn’t even be mad! With that being said, I do suggest either roasting your peppers in the oven or buying those roasted red peppers in a jar unless you want a cooking adventure that will also double as a hand workout!
Savor the end of summer with this chili lime roasted red pepper dressing. Splash this on your favorite salad, drizzle it over a homemade taco, or use as a delicious veggie dip!
Chili Lime Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes (if roasting your own peppers)
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Lime Juice
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/8 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/8 teaspoon Salt
- Wash your red bell pepper. Turn on a gas stove to medium-high heat and cover your hands with oven mitts. Have a small plate set up right next to the stove.
- Use tongs to grip the red bell pepper and hold it over the heat.
- Hold the pepper in place for about a minute and then rotate the pepper to another side. You have now become a human rotisserie machine.
- Continue rotating and holding until the skin begins to blacken and the pepper begins to drip. It should feel soft and water-logged.
- Once the pepper is done, place it on the plate to cool for about five minutes.
- Peel as much of the skin off of the pepper as you can and discard—it’s not the end of the world if you can’t get it all off!
- Finally, take your hard-earned roasted red pepper and throw it into a blender with all of the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and store in a closed container for up to 5 days!
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