Quick Pepper Pork Has Unbeatable Flavor

Recipes featuring that splendid vegetable, bell peppers, may be your favorites in late summer and early fall. Bell peppers have a flavor that’s unbeatable.

Peppers, they say, were discovered by Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492. Columbus hauled them back to Europe, where they were well received. Then it was on to America for another favorable introduction of this sweet, mild vegetable.

Besides the standard green,

different colors of bell peppers abound in local grocery stores. Red, yellow and orange are fairly common. In some parts of the country there’s gold, lime, purple, blue, and black or chocolate brown peppers.

“We sell more green peppers than anything,” says produce manager Dave Patch of Yoke’s Pac ‘N Save Foods on North Foothills Drive in Spokane. The red and yellow varieties are gaining in popularity as people discover their versatility.

The colorful peppers are available all year, says Patch. Some colors predominate at certain times of the year, depending on supply.

As for flavor, the red and yellow varieties are sweeter than the green.

Yoke’s bell peppers come from Oregon or California, with a summer supply from Spokane producers.

If you’re looking for quality vegetables, look for “firmness and no wrinkles,” says Patch, who recommends storing bell peppers in the refrigerator and using them within about four days.

Kids may not like peppers, but adults will thoroughly enjoy them in Quick Pepper Pork. It’s microwaveable and highly flavorful.

Quick Pepper Pork

Adapted from “Quick & Easy Meals in Minutes” (Publications International, Ltd.)

1 pound boneless pork leg, cut into bite-size strips

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Stir together pork strips, onion, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder in 2-quart microwave-safe casserole. Cover with waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 8-10 minutes or until pork is no longer pink, stirring well every 2 minutes.

Add pepper strips; re-cover casserole. Microwave on HIGH 2-5 minutes or until peppers reach desired doneness.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 207 calories, 9 grams fat (35 percent fat calories), 80 milligrams cholesterol, 70 milligrams sodium.

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