Blistered Shishito Peppers with Lemon-Chipotle Dipping Sauce

I've discovered a new favorite appetizer that I cannot wait to share!  

Beautiful, Shishito Peppers.

If you are into food like I am, you've probably seen these little gems cropping up in the pages of numerous food magazines and been intrigued.  When they showed up on the menu at my favorite local sushi spot, I knew it was time to give them a try.

Finding Shishitos in the grocery store wasn't so easy.  I rooted through several different markets to no avail, then suddenly one night my neighborhood Von's revamped the produce section and the next morning I inadvertently walked into Foodie Heaven.

Mixed in with the standard celery, potatoes and broccoli I was delighted to see...

wildly striped graffiti eggplant
deep purple bell peppers
jewel tone carrots
a rainbow of colored baby beets
exotic mushrooms of every size and shape
even tiny quail eggs!   
and, yes, shishito peppers. 

Von's is stepping up their game, and I couldn't be happier!

Being that they are a small green pepper similar to a jalapeno or serrano, one might assume they are spicy.  I can assure you, they're not hot at all.  They are actually mild and sweet, and virtually addicting.  I dare you to eat just one.

They are super quick and simple to make, and if you can flip them in the skillet with a flick of the wrist, you are sure to impress your guests.  

I will flip like crazy and haven't lost a pepper yet, though I will spend quite some time cleaning the stove top after my guest have gone home.

 


Heat the butter and lemon infused olive oil until it's frothy and just starting to darken, which will give the peppers that rich, satisfying browned butter flavor plus an underlying hint of lemon.

Don't worry if you get distracted and they burn a bit.  A little char is what you want.

Just keep flipping and they will keep sizzling and popping.  It makes for a great show.

The dipping sauce is just a thicker version of my Lemon Chipotle Crema, minus the milk,  It's acidic, lemony bite is the perfect compliment to the buttery peppers, as is Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel.  This rich, silky red is out of this world, with layers of deep dark fruit and raisins.  For years we've been stocking up at the winery every time we traveled to Paso Robles.  Imagine my excitement when one of my favorite reds turned up at my local Von's grocery store!

P.S. Thank you for the gorgeous bowls, Tobin James Cellars!

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Lemon-Chipotle Dipping Sauce

 

 Ingredients

 

10 oz shishito peppers, picked through, rinsed and dried
1 T butter
1 T Cucina Valentina Sicilian Lemon Olive Oil
sea salt
lemon juice

Directions

Heat butter and oil on medium-high in a wide skillet until frothy and just starting to brown.  Add peppers.  Saute peppers, flipping every few minutes until they are nicely blistered and slightly charred.

Arrange on serving platter and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.  Sprinkle with flaky salt.

Lemon-Chipotle Dipping Sauce

 

Ingredients

1/2 C Fage non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 t honey
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 t chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper to taste 
    

Directions

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Ian's Baby Back Ribs

Ah, baby back ribs.  While they don't come in a casserole or crock pot, I consider them to be a comfort food.  When you strike the perfect balance between savory and sweet, they are soul soothing - to me anyway...

And, I could use a hug right about now.

As I write this post, I'm adrift with melancholy.  It was difficult to put on a smile and say goodbye to my sister, Lesley, this past week, knowing she is headed back to the opposite end of the country and I'm not sure when I will see her again.

Michael and Lesley

 
Though we didn't have the luxury of sharing our childhoods (we only found each other in 2000), we've developed an undeniably deep connection.  I miss her already.

I know my husband feels the same, but in stoic male fashion, he's not showing it.  He and my brother-in-law Mike, have that same connection.  Put those two together and it's a guaranteed comedy hour.  

Ian and Michael

I can just imagine how wonderful life would be if we ever wound up in the same state, let alone, neighborhood.  But, for now, all we can do is cherish the times we are able to spend together.

Michael, Lesley, Cindy and Ian

I'd assured Mike and Les that it was going to be hot as usual here in sunny Socal, so they left Connecticut during the season's first snow flurries dreaming of sunshine and armed with an arsenal of shorts and sundresses.

No sooner did they arrive than we had our first rainstorm in over six months, complete with thunder and lighting.  Our temperatures may have dipped into the 60s?  And, as our fur kids were running for cover, my sister was wondering what she'd done to deserve such a cruel twist of fate.

We did make the best of it though. 

Wouldn't you know it, they day they flew home another Indian summer began, and we are right back up into the 90s!  I'm beginning to feel like global warming is hitting our corner of the earth extra hard.

To cheer each other up in the absence of our loved ones, Ian and I decided a patio party for two was in order, and what better patio fare, than baby back ribs?

We buy them by the case when they go on sale, cryo-packed in three rack bundles that keep extraordinarily well in the freezer for months.

Ian's recipe is pretty straightforward, but he guards it with his life.  He's probably going to pitch a fit that I posted his secret to amazing ribs, but the truth is, they're just too good not to share.

The ingredients are simple: 

 You've gotta love the silicone basting brush.  Easy to use, easy to clean.

Once the ribs are on the barbecue, there is no need for basting.  The turbinado sugar melts into a crispy coating that seals in all the spices and flavor.

 

When the meat begins to shrink back from the bone, you know they are getting close to being done.

Resting the ribs (or any meat for that matter) for at least 15 minutes is an integral part of keeping them moist and succulent.

Ian's Baby Back Ribs

3 racks pork baby back ribs, silver skin removed
1/2 C honey mustard
4 T Chef Merito's Fajita Seasoning
3 T crushed garlic
1 T chipotle chili powder
3 T turbinado brown sugar

Directions

Mix first four ingredients well and brush on both sides of ribs.  Sear over gas or coal fire on medium high, 5 - 7 minutes per side.  

Sprinkle both sides of ribs with turbinado sugar and move to center of barbecue.  Turn off center burners but leave side burners on low and let ribs bake two + hours until meat is shrinking from the bone.  Remove from heat and let rest at least 15 minutes.