Shishito Peppers + $25 Trader Joe’s Giveaway!
I love shishito peppers, and it seems like everywhere you go right now, you find someone cooking them up. I never even knew about these little baby peppers until this past year, but I have quickly become obsessed. They are so mild in flavor (unless you get the one out of every ten that is hot), and have a hint of sweetness to them. They make an awesome appetizer, and pretty much whatever way you decide to make them they will turn out great.
I have had a harder time finding them at grocery stores though, that is, until I went to Trader Joe’s last week. I was soooo happy to see they had them prepackaged and washed, and they were SO fresh! All you need to do to enter this giveaway is simply comment on this post below answering this question: What is your favorite seasonal vegetable and how do you cook it? (GIVEAWAY ENDS 8/04/15) And share the love either on facebook or instagram and TAG @atastymess !!! Good luck!!!
And, seeing as I was about to leave on a family trip to Aspen, I made a little going away dinner for some friends with these babies, and ohhhhh were they good. I admit, I ate 3 out of the 6 oz. before they even got to my house, but whatever.
Oh, and I can’t forget to mention my friend Josh (whose nickname is Bepo so you know who I’m talking about in future posts and you don’t think I’m a nut)… who just got back from the worlds most awesome trip – Spain, Israel, Italy, Portugal – I’ll stop naming now because jealousy isn’t pretty on anyone – and brought us back some of the most amazing Iberico to pair with our dinner. Gosh I am food spoiled… I’m pretty sure I ate my weight in cheese and iberico… oh, it was beautiful :).
He found it from a store in the Boqueria, this huge outdoor market in Barcelona. One of the three ibericos we had was “de bellota” which is acorn fed (usually costing double), but it was by FAR the best one we ate. Bellota (the acorns) fall from oak and cork trees where the pigs are raised, they are high in fat, and eating them contributes to the nutty flavor and aroma you only get from this certain type of meat. You could really taste a huge difference just because of what they were fed – it was incredible! It was so shiny, so aromatic, and so tasty, I literally couldn’t stop eating it… if you ever have a chance to buy this DO IT! Thanks Bepo for bringing it to us, sorry we ate it all!!!!!
Here is an awesome write up I found on iberico that describe the different types.
We also served some really amazing cheeses with the hors d’oeuvres while I finished cooking dinner (including one truffle cheese that I scarfed down about every 2 minutes)… and I got it all under $20 at Trader Joe’s – score! So, in honor of some of my favorite foodie finds, I have decided to give out a $25 gift card so you can recreate part of our meal!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- zest of 1 lime
- 6-8 oz. shishito peppers
- fleur de sel salt (or another nice coarse salt)
Instructions
- Heat a wok to about medium, and add in both the olive and toasted sesame oil. Add in the shishito peppers and toss for about 8-10 minutes, until they blister. Add in a few pinches of salt and toss well. Remove peppers from the heat once they have blistered enough but still have a nice crunch, and place in a bowl. Zest 1 lime on top of the peppers and top again with another few pinches salt, and serve!
***This is not a sponsored post.
Once again you have made my mouth water before 9 AM!!
Favorite seasonal vegetable, Corn,,, grilled…. Shuck, salt/pepper/butter corn, wrap back up in leaves & tinfoil, grill for 15 minutes. Every few minutes rotate corn. Best corn ever!!!
YUM!
Favorite seasonal vegetable: Okra (which grows like crazy in our garden). We keep it simple and old-fashioned and coat it with seasoned corn meal and fry ’em up. This year I hope to pickle some also.
I’ve never had a shishito pepper. Thanks for something new to try!
p.s. I’m in full agreement with John about grilled corn!
I love zucchini and squash! I also keep it simple and prepare on the stove with just a little bit of olive oil and Cavender’s seasoning (its so good — https://greekseasoning.com/). I’ve never had the Shishito Peppers before, but it’s been a while since I’ve been to Trader Joe’s so I think it’s time I return!
YUM, simple is the best 🙂 I have to get that seasoning!!!
My favorite seasonal veggie is butternut squash! I love drizzling pieces in olive oil & balsamic vinegar and then roasting them.
I also love that Trader Joe’s sells them pre-cut! Because dang that squash is hard to slice!
xo, Alice
Yummm!!!!! I didn’t know they sold them pre-cut, that is a huge help!
I can vouch, the Shishito peppers were amazing! — and if you can get your hands on some REAL Iberico de Bellota, do not miss the opportunity, it is life changing!
My favorite seasonal vegetable is water spinach and I like to cook it with garlic, fish sauce, a little fresh chile, and a dash of sugar.
Great post on shishito peppers! I just moved to Houston from NYC and I’m glad to see it’s getting popular here.
Wow that sounds so darn good!!!! Ahh yes!! I feel like this is the first year it has really been popular, nice to have new ingredients to cook with!
Those look delish and I love the simple tasty recipe as well…..
Hmmm, but I don’t know Lizzy there’s so many seasonals to choose from that I love cooking with—it’s almost impossible to pick just one veggie and one recipe to go with it…..
I know, I’ve got an idea……
To start in “FALL”I think I love “Apples” best(it’s a fruit, I know-but seasonal) and besides all of the various things I might make with it—from an All Day Apple Butter to a baked apple in double cream, I’d have to go with my Baby’s favorite -which is my “Apple Almond Galette” a definitely delish dessert…
Then “WINTER” comes and my love of Squash comes to the fore; from Acorn to Spaghetti, they’re all so good—but my favorite might be “Butternut” which I’ve used in its own Sweet Galette as well as an Empanada. Though my favorite recipe for it was probably the “Roasted Butternut Squash soup” with Goat Cheese, just so mm-mmm good….
Following winter though “SPRING” arrives and I move on to “Asparagus” which I’ll use in everything from Frittatas to Galettes to just as a baked an seasoned side—though mine, my baby’s and the whole family’s favorite that I do is when I make my “Pasta Porto’Fino” which is just filled with that delicious asparagus –Yum…..
And finally the “SUMMER” arrives and with it, you guessed it, all of that sweet summer “Corn” which I love just flame roasted and doused in butter, but was also just perfect in the “Roasted Corn Salad” (I know, not fair-lol)
Any way you look at it there’s so many delish seasonal veggies to choose from and with markets being what they are, you can practically get any of them regardless of time of year……
Wow you have something for every season!! I love seasonal cooking.. that’s the way it should be – cooking with what is fresh and the Earth gives us during that time of year!! I love your ideas – you better be posting them all on your blog soon so I can make them!!!!!!!!!!!
Definitely will get to a lot of them over time Lizzy; though a few might have to remain family secrets, especially if I ever get around to opening a business like my Sweetie wants me to do…..
Oh my gosh! I had no idea! I hope yall do that and I can come up one day and try it :)!
Well, we were thinking to try doing something small out of the house…
It’d keep costs down, especially to start…
She was thinking I should sell my cookies and Galettes, an a few other items like that, locally and online (all my own recipes-even invented a cookie that I can’t find anywhere else lol)
So if we get that going at all if be excited to send you, overnight, a care package to try out…. ☺️
That sounds unreal! Farmers markets would be an awesome venue for that as well, I have faith it will be a huge success!!! I have been trying to do something myself, I want to open a BYOB cooking school out of my home, I just haven’t been able to find the time yet :/ Hopefully soon! I can’t wait till you two get that up and running, you will have to keep me posted!!!
Oh I have so many favorite seasonal vegetables! If I had to choose one it would be tomatoes, simply sliced or in chunks, with a little salt, freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, heaven!
Um, can I get an invite over to your place, this has me drooling.
I love spaghetti squash! It’s so versatile and it’s delicious!
My favorite would have to be asparagus. Add just a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. A couple of minutes on the grill and you have perfection. 😀
My favorite seasonal vegetable is asparagus – in the spring, and I like to grill them. You skewer several spears on triple skewers, and I baste them with lemon juice, sea salt and olive oil!
I shared on FB!!
I have never tried Shishito peppers this way. What a delightful recipe.
TJ’s is the BEST! I love them because with just two of us in our household we are able to have such a great selection without overbuying on the quantity.