We recently returned from a five week trip to Spain and Portugal. One of the aspects of Spanish food we loved was the tapas (in most of Spain) or pinxtos (as they call them in the Basque area). They varied greatly from region to region.
But in most regions, there was some version of a stuffed piquillo pepper. They are widely available--I got several jars on sale for $2.49 at my local Kroger store. This is a particularly easy version, a pinxto, since we had it in San Sebastian, in the heart of the Basque region. And wow!! is it good!
No recipe. Preheat your oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray or brush lightly with olive oil. Drain the peppers and pat them dry. Cut a good full-flavored Brie into strips abour 1/4" thick. Put each most of the way into a piquillo. Arrange them on the baking sheet and bake until the cheese is just soft. Place on untoasted slices of baguette, drizzle with apricot preserves and sprinkle with slivered fresh basil.
That's it. I served it to our church connection group and there were lots of licked fingers but not a single crumb of any of the dish left on plates.
I'm thinking it might not make such a bad brunch dish, the stuffed pepper atop a slice of baguette "French-toasted," perhaps with a bit more preserves than I put on the appetizer serving.
Either way, trust me..you're gonna love it!!
