Sweet Red Pepper Strips with Artichoke and Caper Filling

From The Vegan Gourmet - Susann Geiskopf - Hadler & Mindy Toomay

This is a great appetizer for any dinner party. Make the artichoke mixture up hours ahead of time and keep it at room temperature, so all you have to do when guests arrive is is to cut and fill the pepper strips.

Ingredients:

1 can (approx. 13 oz.) water-packed artichoke bottoms
1/3 cup minced red onion
2 tbsps capers, drained, minced if large
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 tsp paprika
several grinds of black pepper
2 medium red bell peppers

Drain the artichoke bottoms and mince them finely. Toss with the onion, capers and parsley. Stir together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar, basil, paprika and black pepper. Toss with the artichoke mixture until well combined. Set aside.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Discard the stems, seeds, and white membranes and cut each half pepper into 3 lengthwise strips, taking the care to create strips with a cupped shape that can hold the filling. Spoon the artichoke mixture along the length of each bell pepper strip. Arrange the filled pepper strips in a pretty pattern on a serving dish. Serve at room temperature.