Charred Shishito Peppers

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Sometimes the stars align and the post I was planning for the week lines up perfectly with The Recipe ReDux challenge.  Luckily, that has happened on this very busy week before Christmas! Due to popular demand, The Recipe ReDux is repeating December 2014’s theme with an update:

“The Recipe ReDux has been around for 54 months! To celebrate, we’re playing a little party game this month: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 54 or 154.”

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Healthy Vegan & Gluten-Free Appetizer Recipe: Shishito Peppers

I had a really old cookbook of appetizers that I only look at around the holidays. Page 54 featured jalapeno poppers, which are usually fried and stuffed with cheese.  Definitely not a healthy appetizer! Lately, I’ve seen a new (to me) pepper called a shishito pepper, and I’ve been dying to try it. I recently found a bag of them at Trader Joe’s, and I was pleasantly surprised about the flavor and the ease of preparation.

Shishito Peppers are small green peppers that are native to Japan.  They are best served hot from a frying pan, and the majority of them have a sweet taste.  The interesting thing about Shishito Peppers is that 1 in 10 have a spicy kick.  It’s like pepper roulette! Serve these peppers straight from the frying pan as a super simple, delicious, and healthy holiday appetizer!

Shishito Peppers edit

Charred Shishito Peppers

Course Side Dish
Keyword shishito peppers
Servings 4
Author Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 ounces Shishito Peppers
  • Sprinkle of coarse sea salt
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add olive oil to pan and heat for 1-2 minutes. (You want the pan to be hot, but you don’t want the oil to start to smoke.)

  2. Add Shishito Peppers to the pan (if they sizzle, you know the pan is hot enough). Fry for 4-5 minutes on each side. The peppers will begin to blister--that’s okay!

  3. Transfer the peppers from the hot pan to a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and squeeze the lemon juice on top.

  4. Serve them while hot. Bite them right off the stem and enjoy the sweet or spicy treat.

Shishito Peppers vertical

9 Comments

  1. thelazyveganbaker

    I’ve never heard of Shishitos before – will definitely look for them and play the pepper lottery :-).

    Reply
  2. Marisa Moore (@marisamoore)

    Love Shishito peppers and love to enjoy them just as you have them here – simply salted and charred! Yum!

    Reply
  3. Abbey sharp

    Shishito peppers are legit our favourite veg. My fiancé could eat a whole pack for dinner no problem 🙂

    Reply
  4. Maha Khan

    Wow, This is cool looking.
    I think this very powerful and yummy taste….

    Reply
  5. The Modern Proper

    Shishito peppers forever! One of my absolute favorite snacks.

    Reply

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I’m Natalie Rizzo, an NYC-based Registered Dietitian.

My mission is to help everyday athletes fuel their fitness with plants.

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