Sweet Heat

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Successful appetizers manage to pack serious taste sensation into a small, bite-sized package. When the food is eaten in one gulp, there’s no room for meek spices or filler of any sort. That’s where these easy, intensely flavorful little snacks come in. After an over-enthusiastic purchase that resulted in many leftover shishito peppers, I soon was forced to scheme up new ways to use up my bounty, beyond the traditional grilling method. Contrasting flavors were the name of the game, and so I turned to the humble sweet potato. The gentle sweetness of those orange-fleshed tubers seems to both accentuate and mellow the heat of those green chiles, effortlessly adding another dimension. Despite how deceptively easily they come together, they’re quite complex in flavor, and had me reaching for a second, and a third, before I knew it.

Yield: Makes 25 - 30 Stuffed Pepper Halves

Shishito Pepper Poppers

Shishito Pepper Poppers

The gentle sweetness of those orange sweet potatoes both accentuates and mellows the heat of shishito peppers, effortlessly adding another dimension of flavor to this effortless app.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 Pound Shishito Peppers
  • 1 Canned Chipotle in Adobo, Finely Minced
  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 Tablespoon Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil, Melted
  • 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • Pinch Cayenne Pepper (Optional)
  • Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (Optional)
  • Chopped Fresh Parsley or Cilantro, for Garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with a silpat, aluminum foil, or parchment paper.
  2. Toss the peeled cubes of sweet potato and with the oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper so that the pieces are all evenly coated. Spread them out on your prepared baking sheet in one even layer, and roast until fork-tender and lightly browned around the edges; about 20 – 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for at least 5 – 10 minutes before proceeding, so that they’re easier to handle.
  3. Meanwhile, you can go ahead and prep your shishito peppers. Slice each on in half, and carefully remove the seeds and white inner membrane. Set aside.
  4. To complete the filling, take your roasted potatoes and add the minced chipolte, coconut milk, butter or coconut oil, sugar, and cinnamon. Mash thoroughly, until mostly smooth but with a few small chunks remaining for texture. If you really like it hot, go ahead and add in cayenne pepper, to taste, but bear in mind that the shishitos will add a good deal of spice to the party, too. For a crunchy contrast, toss in a handful of finely chopped nuts, in desired. Fold in so that the pieces are well distributed.
  5. Spoon or pipe the mashed sweet potatoes into your halved peppers. You may have leftover filling, but it makes for a fantastic side dish all on its own, too. Line up the stuffed peppers on the same baking sheet you just used. No need to clean it; the leftover oil will help to prevent the peppers from sticking. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the peppers have wilted slightly and are tender. Let cool before serving, top with parsley or cilantro if desired, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Feel free to increase the heat by using jalapenos instead of shishito peppers.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: Japanese / Category: Starters and Snacks

27 thoughts on “Sweet Heat”

  1. Love Shishito peppers! I had them for the first time in a sushi restaurant years ago, where they served them steaming hot and topped with flakes that were moving from the heat – it looked alive and tasted delicious. I’ve not seen them at our grocery stores recently, but I’ll have to keep my eyes out – stuffed peppers are a great presentation food and so tasty!

  6. The picture makes these peppers look really cute. I do not kno why, I think it is because they are tiny and I have this problem with tiny things, I found them so much cuter than the normal or large-size one.
    But surely one must keep in mind that appearances are deceptive (sometimes), because I am sure these cuties are burning although you thought about it and softened with some sweet potato.
    The combination is surely great !

  12. We are big fans of stuffed peppers in my house! The sweet potato filling for these was such a good idea…I know these would be a hit!

  17. I’m with Andrea. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them but I would love this recipe. Do you think I’d find them at a Chinese market?

    1. Ethnic markets are definitely good places to check! Also, if you have any produce specialty stores, or “high end” grocery stores like Fresh Market, Balducci’s, or Whole Foods, there’s a good chance you’d find them there, too. Hope you can get a hold of some! Otherwise, jalapenos can work as well. :)

  22. Intriguing! I’ve read and tried cooking stuffed bell peppers before but I’ve never tried using Shishito peppers. Based on my experience, there are peppers from this species that can be very very spicy. I’ll bet it will have that nice kick when I buy those and mix it with the sweet flavors of the other ingredients.

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