Hot Peppers

Classic Red Mole Poblano

Posted Sat, 01/15/2011 - 15:49 by Jon

Having just returned from Mexico, we were craving Mexican food. We decided to take on the ultimate: mole. We headed up to our local latin-american superstore market to pick up the necessary ingredients. Because we couldn't exactly get everything we needed, here's the record of what we actually did (and how it turned out). Our recipe is basically the ingredients list from Fonda San Miguel, a delicious Mexican restaurant in Austin, with the process taken from Nuevo Mexican guru Rick Bayless.

Pepper Slaw

Posted Tue, 06/08/2010 - 19:01 by Audrey

1 lb. green cabbage
1/3 c. cold water
1/4 c. distilled white vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 c. green bell pepper, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
1/4 c. carrot, grated
Few drops of tabasco sauce or some minced hot peppers
Freshly ground black pepper (add just before serving)

Jalapeno Jelly

Posted Sat, 02/27/2010 - 15:50 by Audrey

My homemade jalapeno jelly is always a huge hit at parties. The fact that Jon grows the hot peppers that go into the jelly impresses people even more. The secret is that this is actually one of the easiest canning recipes I have.

Even though this is made with hot peppers (and trust me, the ones coming out of our garden are very spicy), its actually very mild when finished. To kick it up a notch, substitute a few habaneros or other spicy chilis. Three to four habaneros will make a medium heat jelly.

Jon's Chili

Posted Sun, 12/06/2009 - 20:04 by Jon

There is no "real" recipe to my chili beyond the base set of ingredients and improvisation with spices and available ingredients. If there are fresh peppers, they go in. If there's homemade salsa, it definitely goes in. Beer (Shiner Bock I find is best) cuts the spice level nicely without removing the flavor.

I sautee the onion/garlic/jalapenos until tender, then add the meat and brown it. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add whole habaneros and the first spices (salt, pepper, first group of spices). Add 4 cups of water and some beer and bring to a boil.

Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Posted Sun, 10/18/2009 - 14:34 by Audrey

Roasted cherry peppers stuffed with Serrano ham, basil, and goat cheese. From Epicurious : http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/STUFFED-CHERRY-PEPPERS-12...

Ingredients
12 hot cherry peppers
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
12 paper-thin slices of Serrano Ham (jámon Serrano) or Prosciutto - anchovies are also tasty, and consider olives as a stufffer as well
12 medium-sized fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Sherry Vinegar
1/2 t salt
6 basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Preparation
Crush the garlic and add it to the olive oil. Set aside.

Jon's Garden Salsa

Posted Fri, 09/25/2009 - 09:14 by Jon

I began making my own hot sauce during Peace Corps - peppers were plentiful, but good, non-tabasco-style sauces were hard to find (and generally bad). It's always a big hit, but actually really easy to make.

You can also see this recipe in a much more amusing flowchart form (PDF)

Chicken Enchiladas

Posted Sat, 08/29/2009 - 12:58 by Audrey

After many tries, we've settled on this yummy chicken enchiladas recipe. Makes about 4 big enchiladas.

Ingredients:
Non-breast parts of a rotisserie chicken (bought at Eastern Market), torn into pieces
Green chiles (hatch/anaheim chiles, canned works)
1 Onion, chopped
Flour tortillas (don't listen to Jon when he says Corn tortillas are okay)
Enchiladas Sauce (see below)
Jack Cheese (Pepperjack, if you want a little kick)

Make Enchilada Sauce:

Salsa Verde

Posted Sat, 08/29/2009 - 12:39 by Audrey

Staple salsa verde recipe.

ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 1/2 pounds tomatillos,* husked, rinsed
4 large fresh poblano chiles,* halved lengthwise, cored, seeded
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 cups (packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
1 cup (packed) chopped green onions

preparation

Veggie (TVP) Chili

Posted Tue, 08/25/2009 - 12:11 by Jon

TVP Chunk can often be found in Caribbean markets

3 cups TVP beef Chunk or mince
1 bag (4 c) Brown Lentils
1 cup red peas, soaked overnight, or 1 can (optional)
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cumin
1 tbsp sage (if fresh, finely chopped)
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
4 jalapenos
2 limes worth of juice
2 c cheddar cheese
black pepper
2 smallish medium onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
32oz crushed or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Bottle Beer (Shiner Bock, Red Stripe both work well)

Chinese Long Beans

Posted Tue, 08/25/2009 - 11:53 by Jon

1 1/2 lb Chinese long beans*
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (2 1/2 oz; not cocktail peanuts)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 to 3 small fresh Thai chiles** (to taste), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Add shrimp to make a full meal

Audrey and Jon

One year and counting!