Shishito ししとう

Shishito, the longer, skinnier cousin of the green bell pepper. Shishito also happen to be much tastier than Japanese green bell peppers and I use them whenever I can in recipes that call for bell pepper. The most famous of the shishito are manganji tougarashi. These are shishito grown exclusively in Kyoto, so lucky for you if you're in the Kyoto area. Other shishito are just as tasty and can be readily found at the farmers' markets. For those outside of Japan, you can try looking in Asian supermarkets, or standard green bell peppers are a close enough substitute. And like bell peppers, shishito are a great source of vitamins C and A.

How to Prepare
With the smaller shishito, you can cook them whole, which is what I usually do because I'm lazy. Even the stems of shishito can be eaten so simply cut up the shishito however you want.

Easy Shishito Recipe

The snow-filled winds are encroaching on Shiga so pots of hot, tasty goodness are where it's at!

Jambalaya


Serves 4-6

Prep Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 package of shishito, chopped or 1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 celery stocked, diced
• 3 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1 small package sausage, cut into bite-sized slices. (For people in Japan, I recommend going to Amica or the Brazilian market to buy sausage. Otherwise, the "chorizo" at the regular supermarket will do the trick)
• 1 chicken breast, skin removed and chopped
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can beans, drained
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1 package medium sized shrimp, peeled
• 2 cups chicken broth

Preparation:
1. Add oil to a large saucepan.
2. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent.
3. Add parsley, sausage, chicken, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 2 cups chicken broth. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour rice and beans into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid.
6. Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more.
7. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
8. Finished!