Charred Shishito Peppers

Shishito peppers are (usually) mild Japanese peppers. If you've ever had these at a restaurant, you've more than likely heard some stat along the lines of "1 in 10 are spicy". In my experience, it's completely random.

Get to playing pepper roulette in no time with my easy, and easy-to-modify recipe.

Ingredients/Shopping List:

• Shishito Peppers

• Cooking Oil

• Lemon Zest

• Flake Salt

Steps:

1. Heat your pan and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add your shishitos and allow them to cook on medium heat in one single layer. Avoid flipping/tossing them at this point.

2. After 3-5 minutes, flip the peppers. You want them to be blistered and charred.

3. After another 3-5 minutes of cooking on the other side, season heavily with salt and toss for another 3-8 minutes depending on how done you want the peppers to be.

4. Turn off the flame and use a microplane to zest your lemon over the peppers right before removing them from the heat. I like A LOT of lemon zest.

5. Finish with flake salt.

Note: Finish the peppers with bonito flakes for extra umami.

Watch on TikTok @eatplantlove

Easy One Pot Meal: Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s pie takes me back to a restaurant I worked at some time ago. The chef made it for family meal on a weekly basis and I rememeber always looking forward to it because it was easy to scarf down in the middle of a busy night. The concept of “family meal” it’s basically a free staff meal. One of the *many* *PERKS* (sense my sarcasm) of working in food and beverage.

Everything is chopped finely, it’s delicious and filling, and like I said- easy to eat. Nothing like a one-pot meal for someone with eating complications.

This recipe can be made as simply or as complicated as you choose. Chopping vegetables and making mashed potatoes takes the most time, but you can minimize that by using pre-chopped, bagged veggies and by using prepped mashed potatoes. This also makes for the perfect opportunity to minimize waste and use whatever you have in your fridge that’s nearing its expiration date.

Ingredients/Shopping List:

• Olive Oil

• Ground beef or turkey - Optional if you're vegetarian. Like most of my recipes, this can be made without meat.

• Mashed potatoes

• Your choice of veggies. I used:

• onions

• garlic

• peas

• mushrooms

• carrots

• Beef bouillon or broth - I love the "Better Than Bouillon" line of products. They have veg-friendly products as well.

• Tomato paste (ideally) or marinara (use whatever tomato product you’ve got)

• Seasonings:

• salt

• pepper

• granulated garlic

• thyme

• bay leaves

• paprika

Recipe tips:

• Brown the meat in small batches

• Cook the veggies and meat separately, then return everything to the pan once the meat is browned

• Adding red wine to the “broth” will add a depth of flavor

• Many people add flour to thicken the “gravy”

• Feel free to top the dish with cheese prior to broiling it

Watch the video here:

How to Make Frozen Broccoli Not Taste Like Shit

The main thing to focus on here, isn't the recipe, it's the technique. Charring your vegetables, frozen or not, is a simple way to elevate your dishes.

• Make sure your pan is piping hot before you begin cooking

• Use oil - oil isn't completely necessary when cooking, I know, but for a good sear/char, it is

• Medium to high heat

• Cook your vegetables in a single layer. with empty space between each piece (as shown below). If you don't leave space, the veggies will steam. and won't develop that char we're trying to create

• Flip only once!

• This recipe is flexible. I like to add garlic, lemon, sometimes Parmesan. For simplicity's sake, I'll list the most basic version +truffle (I know, I know), and you add what you want. Cool? Cool.

Pan-Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients/Shopping List:

• Broccoli

• Oil/Butter

• Salt and Pepper

• Flake Salt

• Truffle Zest if you're extra like me

Steps:

• Heat oil/butter. If you have both, use both. Oil will help your food not stick, butter'll add flavor.

• Place broccoli in the pan and let it sear for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side, season with salt and pepper. If you're using frozen broccoli, adjust the cook time accordingly.

• Remove from heat and finish with flake salt and a touch of truffle zest.

***Chef's kiss*** no?