1,550 sweet pepper recipes

Soft steamed buns filled with mushrooms, water chestnuts, bell pepper, and hoisin sauce, served with a soy-chili dipping sauce. Homemade Chinese bao that freeze beautifully for later.

Open-faced grilled vegetable sandwich on walnut bread with hummus-tahini spread, shallot-Dijon vinaigrette, portobello, fennel, zucchini, and bell peppers. Vegetarian Mediterranean.

Fiesta pasta with mostaccioli tossed in a taco-seasoned spaghetti sauce with kidney beans, bell peppers, and Monterey Jack cheese. A Mexican-Italian fusion one-pot weeknight dinner.

Pasta and white bean salad with roasted red peppers, pesto, and light mayonnaise dressing. A quick, protein-packed cold salad that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Sweet and sour Alaska salmon nuggets: broiled wild salmon chunks served with a pineapple-ginger dipping sauce. A fun twist on takeout using Pacific wild-caught fish.

Bow tie pasta and tender broccoli bake in creamy Alfredo sauce with roasted red peppers and basil. Parmesan browns on top for a bubbly, golden crust.

This bean soup sports a colorful mixture of vegetables and rich spices reminiscent of Mexican cuisine. It tastes even better after a night in the refrigerator. Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips and low- fat sour cream, if desired.

A Cajun-style homemade beef seasoning blend with paprika, garlic powder, file powder, and bay leaf. Mix it once, jar it up, and season steaks, roasts, and stews all month long.

Homemade chili sauce for canning with 50 fresh tomatoes, onions, red peppers, celery, vinegar, brown sugar, and whole allspice. A big-batch preserve that yields 5 quarts.

Spiced black bean curry with ginger, cumin, coriander, roasted peanuts, and sliced orange. A dry-style Indian curry finished with sherry, lemon juice, and shoyu.

Hearty vegetarian mostaccioli in a wine-simmered crushed tomato sauce with toasted walnuts, sherry pepper oil, julienned zucchini, and red peppers, broiled under bubbly mozzarella and fresh basil.

A stunning composed salad of fresh corn, peppers, squash, zucchini, and Japanese eggplant on peppery arugula, dressed in walnut oil and rice vinegar.

Gratin Catalan with layered eggplant, roasted peppers, capers, anchovies, and a pine nut breadcrumb topping. A rustic Mediterranean vegetable bake served warm or at room temperature.

Mexican octopus salad with kidney beans, corn, and red bell pepper in a spicy chile-cumin-oregano dressing. Tender octopus tossed cold with bold Southwestern flavors.

Sesame noodles with soy sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper, and roasted red pepper strips. A quick cold noodle dish with nutty sesame flavor, ready in 25 minutes.

Cajun-style barbecue sauce slow-simmered with Southern Comfort, steak sauce, hot sauce, and a heap of sauteed onions, celery, and bell pepper. Makes a big batch that keeps for weeks.