Shishito peppers are a Japanese variety of small chilis.  Though generally not spicy, every once in a while you might get one that has a touch of heat to it.  Shishito peppers have somewhat thin flesh and very thin skin, and their taste has a delicate bitterness to it.  In Austin, you can get wonderful shishito peppers from Johnson’s Backyard Garden during the late spring/early summer.  Try this super simple recipe as an appetizer or quick snack!

Blistered and Marinated Shishito Peppers

Ingredients

• 12-15 shishito peppers, whole with stems attached
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light [gluten-free] soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Japanese rice vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Wash the shishito peppers in warm water, and then pat completely dry with a towel.
2. In a large, heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. While the oil is heating, mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, soy sauce, water, vinegar, and salt in a shallow bowl.
4. Once the oil is very hot and moves freely around the bottom of the pan, throw in the peppers.  Make sure to not crowd the pan – you only want a single layer of peppers (you can make additional batch if necessary).
5. Let the peppers cook, without stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir quickly to move the peppers to an uncooked side, then let cook another minute.  Continue cooking, stirring continuously for another two minutes.  The skin of the peppers should be blistered and brown.
6. Remove the peppers and place directly in the marinade.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, then serve!

Variation:  Instead of using the marinade, you can just remove the blistered peppers to a small serving dish and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Baby onions aren't the only babies in season right now!

This summer promises to bring a bumper crop of babies! One friend specifically asked us at Coseppi Kitchen to post some recipe ideas that can be made ahead of time and frozen so that when the baby craziness happens they will have some things prepared. So, with hours to spare before her due date we would like to present Green Tomato and Summer Squash Enchiladas, Veggie Mac Casserole, and Tofu Pesto Lasagna.

We hope that expanding families everywhere will find these dishes delicious and nutritious and that they pair well with hard-boiled or fried fresh backyard eggs.

This lasagna achieves nutrient density with fresh seasonal vegetables and without the heavy, cheesy, saltiness might be associated with other lasagnas.  It also uses zucchini “noodles” in place of pasta and finely chopped eggplant in place of ground beef. If you freeze this dish, allow the lasagna to thaw completely at room temperature then reheat, covered, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

Tofu Pesto Lasagna

Ingredients

• 3 pounds zucchini, you will want large zucchini, washed and sliced with a vegetable peeler into wide “lasagna noodles”
• 1 pound eggplant, peeled and finely diced in a food processer
• 28 ounces stewed tomatoes, unsweetened
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves ogarlic, minced and divided
• ½ large white onion, diced and divided
• ½ cup water
• 14 ounces extra firm tofu, cubed
• ½ cup whole raw almonds, divided
• 2 cups packed fresh basil
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. To prepare the marinara sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onions and 1/3 of the minced garlic over medium heat until the onions are tender and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the processed eggplant to the sauté and continue cooking for a minute. Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and water. Turn to low heat and allow to simmer until the eggplant is thoroughly softened and most of the liquid has reduced.
3. While the sauce is simmering prepare the pesto. Combine tofu, basil, 4 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and one clove of garlic in a large blender or food processor until it is smooth and creamy.
4. When the sauce is ready it is time to assemble the lasagna. Spread ½ a cup of sauce on the bottom of a large glass (Pyrex) baking dish. Create an even layer of zucchini noodles on top of the sauce using 1/3 of the zucchini noodles. Add the tofu pesto in an even layer over the zucchini and layer another 1/3 of the zucchini noodles on top of the pesto. Spread another cup of the sauce on top of the zucchini, followed by the remainder of the noodles. Top it off with the rest of the sauce and bake in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
5. While the lasagna is cooking prepare the topping. Combine ¼ cup of almonds, nutritional yeast, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until it is uniformly ground.
6. After the lasagna has cooked, allow it cool for 10 minutes then sprinkle the topping on top in a uniform layer. Serve warm.

I do not believe that I have ever had a vegan mac and “cheese” that tastes like the original, but that does not mean that they are not also good. This recipe creates a savory sauce with mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and Peruvian Aji Amarillo and ups the nutritional ante with fresh broccoli and quinoa.

Veggie Mac Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free or whole wheat elbow pasta, cooked according to directions
• 1/4 cup qunioa, cooked according to directions
• 2 tablespoons butter or butter alternative
• 4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 pound winter squash, cooked and mashed
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tablespoon Aji Amarillo
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute until they have expressed liquid. Add onion and garlic to saute and continue cooking until onions are tender, about two minutes.
2. Stir broccoli into the saute. Cover and reduce heat to low allowing broccoli to steam until bright green and tender, about three minutes.
3. Stir cooked quinoa and pasta into the vegetables and set aside.
4. To make the sauce, combine squash, nutritional yeast, paprika, soy milk, Aji Amarillo, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar  in a blender and combine until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
5. Pour sauce over vegetable saute and noodles and return to heat until the sauce begins to bubble.
6. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Cooked Butternut Squash

There are two good methods to use to cook hard winter squash variates like acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, and kabocha. Incidentally, like soft skinned so called “summer squash”, winter squash also grows in the warmer months of the year but its skin gives it a longer shelf life so it is typically stored and eaten in the fall and winter. But, I digress.

The two methods I recommend are: