Shishito peppers are showing up everywhere on the food scene these days – and I love buying them to cook at home. Shishito peppers are a Japanese heirloom pepper, and are generally mild on the spicy scale, but every now and then – you may get a surprise spicy pepper! In my opinion, it’s like a game of roulette (there’s a 1 in 10 chance!) and is part of the fun in eating these little guys!
These peppers are really healthy for you because they are full of fiber and antioxidants and contain high levels of vitamin C, making them great for digestive health and disease prevention. Like we needed any excuse to indulge!
Shishito peppers have a thin skin that makes them easy to blister and quick to cook. Cooking them is so easy, and brings out a subtle smokey flavor that lends well to many preparation methods, and to eating an entire bowl on your own. Whoops! Prior to cooking, rinse them well but leave the shishito peppers whole, stems in tact.
Ingredients:
1 package of shishito peppers (no surprise here!)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds
Directions:
Heat a cast iron skillet for 5 minutes over medium heat. Swirl in toasted sesame oil for a couple of seconds and toss in shishito peppers. Let the peppers sit for a few minutes to blister on one side, before giving them a stir/flip with a wooden spoon. Let them blister on the other side, cooking about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and move skillet to a hot pad. Sprinkle in sesame seeds and a splash of tamari or soy sauce. Try not to eat them all in one sitting…. or do! 🙂