Baked Feta with Roasted Red Peppers and Lemon

By: Frank Terranova | NBC 10
Published: January 30, 2012

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
6 small wedges pita bread
6 1 1/2 inch cubes feta, preferably Dodoni
2 tablespoons microgreens (optional)

For the oregano broth:

2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 rib celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt to taste

Method of Preparation:
1.    For the broth: Put oregano, celery, carrots, onions, lemon zest, salt to taste, and 3 cups water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. Keep broth warm.
2.    For the baked feta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine roasted peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste; cover and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3.    Toss pita wedges with 2 tbsp. of the oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pita wedges out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until just golden and crisp, 7–8 minutes. Keep warm.
4.    Arrange the feta cubes in a single layer in a small ovenproof nonstick skillet and top each cube with a dollop of the marinated peppers. Pour just enough broth around the feta to cover the bottom of the skillet, about 3 tablespoons. Bake for 8 minutes. Transfer each cube of feta to a shallow serving dish. Pour an additional 2–3 tbsp. broth into each dish around the feta and garnish each cube of feta with some microgreens. Gently press a pita wedge into each cube. Drizzle broth with a few drops of the remaining olive oil. Serve immediately.