Marinated Sweet Peppers

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Place 1 pound of sweet peppers on a rimmed baking sheet; rub with 1 TBS olive oil.

-Roast until peppers are soft and skins have split, 35 to 40 minutes.

-Transfer peppers to a medium bowl.

-Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let peppers steam 20 minutes.

-Peel peppers, slice in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

-Cut into 1-inch-wide strips and return to bowl.

-Add the following:

2 wide strips lemon zest

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, smashed

3 sprigs fresh oregano

3 TBS olive oil

¼ tsp sea salt

-Toss well and then let marinate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

-Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Slice 3-4 peppers in half lengthwise then scoop out any seeds and membrane.

For the filling:

-Cut 4 slices of thick cut bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

-Add to a pan over medium heat.

-Cook, stirring often, until crisp.

-Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain.

-Dice half an onion.

-Add the onion to the pan used to cook the bacon. If the pan seems dry, add a splash of olive oil.

-Cook for 2-3 minutes.

-Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

-Remove from the heat.

-Add the following to a bowl:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature

Juice of half a lemon

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

-Mix until well blended.

-In another bowl, combine the following:

3 TBS melted butter

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
The bacon

 -Spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper half then place the pepper, filling side down, into the buttery breadcrumbs.

-Arrange pepper halves, filling side up on the baking sheet.

-Bake the peppers until they have softened and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.