Roasted pepper stew with tomatoes and thyme

Name: Roasted pepper stew with tomatoes and thyme
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil; 1 medium onion (150 g); 3 garlic cloves; 1 large tomato (200 g); 12-14 roasted peppers (cleaned); 300 ml tomato juice or tomato paste; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar; 100 ml water (optional); 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Season - Roasted pepper stew with tomatoes and thyme by Eusebia O. - Recipia

Roasted pepper stew with tomatoes and thyme is served warm, usually with polenta and mujdei, a Romanian garlic sauce. The sauce thickens in the oven, and for a fasting meal it can be kept simple or topped with grated telemea, a Romanian brined cheese, if you’re not fasting. I like to choose meaty peppers that hold their shape in the sauce. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 42 minutes. Rest: 0 minutes. Total time: 62 minutes. Servings: 4. About 210 kcal and 4 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion (150 g)
3 garlic cloves
1 large tomato (200 g)
12-14 roasted peppers (cleaned)
300 ml tomato juice or tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
100 ml water (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet. Add the onion, cut into julienne strips, and cook for 8 minutes, until it starts to brown. 2. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute. 3. Add the washed tomato, cut into small cubes. Cook for another 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. 4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the roasted peppers, with the stems and seeds removed. Mix the salt, pepper and sugar into the tomato juice or paste, then pour it over the peppers. If the sauce is thick, add 100 ml of water; if it’s already runny, leave the water out. 5. Add the bay leaf and sprinkle with the thyme. Put the skillet in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens.

Notes

Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or make it a day ahead. Meaty kapia peppers hold their shape better, while smaller ones soften more quickly in the oven. After cleaning them, let them drain well so they don’t thin the sauce. I like using a cast-iron skillet for the different flavor it gives compared with a regular pan; I put it in the oven before making the polenta. Serve with polenta and mujdei, and outside of fasting periods you can grate telemea over the top. The combination came to me from Zamfira’s green bean dish, which I made twice and we liked.