Grill and stack

 Three-veg pile-up

Capsicum, apart from the green one, can be expensive in Malaysia but sometimes we get lucky and find bags of these peppers that sell for less when they're about to turn soft. That's when you can get a whole bunch  in a variety of colours, preserve them and no one will ever know they were about to be discarded.

Home canning or preserving is something I do often so that even when I don't have fresh ingredients at home to cook with, there will still be food with some semblance of freshness in my fridge for a good and quick meal and I don't have to resort to a packet of instant noodles. Sauces can be tossed through pasta, relishes can be scrambled with eggs, and preserved peppers make one of the best sandwich fillers or salad components around.

So since I was going to have a big dinner tonight, laden with meats and a few starches, I'm quite sure, at a German place that one of my brothers had discovered, a simple sandwich was all that was required for lunch. Of course, I reached for the newly marinated bottle of roasted peppers.

Packed and ready for a meal

For an even heartier sandwich, cut some aubergine/eggplant/brinjal into 1cm-thick slices, spread them with miso paste and grill them. Grill some plain slices of zucchini/courgette as well. Then layer these two vegetables and the marinated peppers between two thick slices of grilled rustic, preferably homemade, bread. What's not to like?

MARINATED ROASTED PEPPERS

The quantity of ingredients for the marinade is only a guide. Taste as you go and adjust accordingly.
6 red, yellow and orange bell peppers/capsicum
Oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon caster sugar

Salt to taste

2 cloves garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly

Clean glass jar with lid

Optional

6 whole peppercorns

6 juniper berries 
2 dried bay leaves

• Preheat the grill.
• Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and white pith. Rub the skins with a little oil and place cut side down into a baking tray. Grill until the skins are blistered and turn black, about 20 minutes. Place grilled pepper halves in a large bowl and cover with cling film to sweat. When cool, peel off the skins over the bowl to collect the liquid. Discard the skins. DO NOT WASH THE PEPPERS.
• Mix the balsamic vinegar with sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the pepper liquid to the mixture.
• Layer the pieces of peppers in the glass jar together with the garlic slices and some of the optional ingredients, if using. Add a little of the vinegar mixture between each layer until everything is used up. Store in the refrigerator and use after two days.

PRINTABLE RECIPE