Sunday, April 3, 2011

Day Ninety-Four: The Weirdest Food I've Ever Loved

Tonight, I brought out the sugar-free Jell-O cookbook once more. The interesting thing about this cookbook is that it contains both sweet and savory recipes. Which made me think, ew. Which made me think, I should eat this. Seems like spurious logic, I know. But that's what this project has brought me to.

I had to share this dish with my husband, so I did not try the most disgusting sounding dishes (one involving tuna, the other involving carrots and raisins) but I still chose something that sounded fairly repulsive: a three-pepper gelatin salad, with a base of lemon Jell-O, with three colors of bell pepper and some green onion stirred in.

The mold (as you can see in the picture) did not come out perfectly. Maybe I unmolded it too soon, I don't know. But it was Jell-O and peppers and onion, so that part was accomplished. And I have to say, as I scooped into it, I was a little bit scared. I took my first bite tentatively. And at first, I must say, I was disgusted.

But then I took the second bite.

Guess what, people? Three-pepper Jell-O salad is AWESOME! I suddenly understand why they ate these weird jiggly concoctions in the sixties. Lemon is a flavor that often appears in savory dishes and the peppers are pretty sweet, so it all gels together nicely. The texture provides some pretty nice contrast, too: a little jiggle, a little crunch. I know. It sounds crazy. But here's the recipe, because I think you should try it!

8 oz lemon gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water (as I write this, I see where I went wrong... I used 2 cups because that's what's on the package)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups chopped bell peppers (a combo of red, yellow, and green)
2 tbsp sliced green onions

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; stir in cold water and lemon juice; chill until slightly thickened.
Stir in peppers and green onions; pour into a 5-cup mold (spray with Pam first); chill until firm, about 4 hours; unmold.

Enjoy!

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