Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Cranberry-Habanero Relish

16 oz bag cranberries, washed and drained
1 med orange, cut into eights
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 habanero pepper, seeds and stem removed
lemon or lime juice to taste
Grind the cranberries coarsely, then grind the orange sections into them. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir. Grind the habanero and add it to the mixture, stirring well. Chill for several hours. Taste. If it is too sweet, add some lemon or lime juice to cut the sugar. If mixture is too tart, add more sugar. Refrigerate till needed. Serve ice-cold as a relish, salad or spread for bread. Tart, sweet and hot.
*Source: #kitmailbox or mailing list

Fiesta Salsa

8 oz cranberries, chopped (2 cups)
1 small apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 small pear, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 orange, peeled, seeded, sectioned, and finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
In a medium bowl stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Makes about 3 cups salsa.
Source: Unknown magazine clipping - Mom clipped and sent my way. Thanx Mom!

Baked Stuffed Jalapenos

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1 12-oz pkg shredded cheddar
1 pound jalapeno peppers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer a baking dish with aluminum foil, then sprinkle a few tablespoons of water onto the foil.The water keeps the peppers from sticking and drying out. Mix the cheeses together and put aside. Rinse and dry peppers. Slice off the stem and top of peppers, then slice in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the membrane and seeds. Stuff the cheese into the pepper shells, Srinkle with paprika or red cayenne pepper and place in the baking dish.
Bake in hot oven 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and pepper is soft.
Variation: Add a small can of crabmeat to the softened cheese before stuffing peppers.
*Source: My kitchen, after eating too many of the fried variety!

My Favorite Summer Salsa

10 Roma tomatoes
1 each green, red, yellow bell pepper
3-5 chile peppers (I like serranos, use what you like!)
1 red onion
3 to 5 tomatillos
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salad oil
fresh or dried cilantro to taste

Dice tomatoes, put into large saucepan, heat on low/med heat.
Peel tomatillo, dice fine and toss 'em and givem a stir. Dice onion, toss it in, stir. Dice green pepper, toss it in, stir. Dice the red and yellow and chile peppers, toss 'em in and stir it up.
REMOVE THE SAUCEPAN FROM HEAT, cover it and let sit for 5-10 minutes. I like to drain off some of the liquid at this point.
Now add the lime juice, sugar, vinegar, oil, and cilantro. Serve it up with tortilla chips and sour cream. Great on baked potatoes!
I don't know how long it stays good for cuz in my house it's gone in 2 days!

Pasta From Hell

1 pound bow ties or medium shell pasta
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. small fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined OR
1/2 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast OR
1/2 lb. lean pork, cut into 1/2" chunks
2 bell peppers (1 green and 1 red)
sliced into strips 1/4" wide and 1 1/2" long
1 medium onion, chopped
6 oz pineapple juice
10 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Habanero chiles (fresh or dried) chopped
2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut in slices roughly &fraq12; " thick
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3 TBSP butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
BE SURE ALL SAUCE INGREDIENTS ARE PREPARED FOR COOKING BEFORE YOU START THE PASTA
1. In a pasta cooker or large kettle, bring at least 5 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and look at the clock.
2a. If using shrimp, chicken or pork, start when pasta has cooked for 3 minutes. Place a very wide skillet or large wok over medium high heat. Add the oil, then meat and sauté the meat for 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Shrimp should be just starting to turn pink.
2b. If not using meat, wait 6 minutes, then heat pan and add oil as described above.
3. Add bell peppers and onion to (unwashed) pan and sauté until just beginning to soften (2 to 3 minutes). Add the fruit juices, chiles and half the banana slices and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat slightly, add the remaining bananas, (reserved shrimp, chicken or pork) cilantro, butter and Parmesan cheese and simmer 3 minutes more. the pasta should just be done when the sauce is. Drain pasta and distribute among plates or bowls. Top with the sauce and serve at once
*Source: Dave and Susan Henderson
(as printed in Yankee Magazine)
Inspired by the East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Flautas

8 oz boneless skinless chicken (ground or finely chopped)
1 onion, finely chopped
fresh chiles of choice, finely chopped
6 black olives, pitted and chopped
salt
1 TBSP oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 oz frozen sweetcorn (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 c heavy cream (I use 1 cup of med cream or Half-n-Half)
12 tortillas (warmed)
salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for toppings
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and add the chicken, onion, and green pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently to break up the pieces of chicken. When the chicken is cooked and the veggies are softened, add the chile, sweetcorn, olives, cream and salt. Bring to the boil over heat and boil rapidly, stirring continiously, to reduce and thicken the cream.
Place tortilla on a clean work surface. Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the tortillas, roll up and secure with wooden toothpicks. Fry flautas in about 1/2" oil in a large fry pan. Do not allow tortillas to get very brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve em up!
*Source Shortyc's mahvalous cookbook!
**My notes: For a lower fat meal, skip the frying process. Roll and secure flauta with toothpick, then spray lightly with olive oil. Place under broiler and broil 2-3 minutes, till just light brown. Turn flauta over and broil another 2-3 minutes.

Chile Cream Cheese Chocolate Pie

1 Reg. package Philly Cream Cheese
12 - 14 oz. Cool Whip
2 cups malted milk balls
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup half & half
1 ripe chile, fresh, stemmed and pureed (your favorite variety, or substitute 1 Tbsp chile powder)
1/4 + stick margarine or butter
graham crackers
1/4 cup roasted, salted almond slices or bittersweet chocolate crumbs
Crush graham crackers and mix with butter to line pie pan (or use pre-made crust).
Put pie pan and crust in freezer to cool.
Crush milk balls (a blender works ok if they're frozen)
Melt Philly gently (I use microwave) and stir in Half & Half to blend.
Turn milk balls, powdered sugar, and chile into Cool whip. Stir well.
Blend all together gently and place in cold pie crust pan. Cool at least 4 hours and top with almonds or chocolate.

WARNING: The variety and flavor of pepper you choose has a major impact on flavor. Try it yourself before you serve it to others. I like Yucatan habs best, but these can make it too hot for non-CHs.
Disregard the urge to eat it all yourself.
Recipe and Warning by: Calvin Donaghey *My notes: I had no fresh chiles available, so I used 1 TBSP of Calvin's powder. Interesting blend of cool, sweet, and hot!

Chile Cream Sauce

2 tbls butter or hard margarine
2 tbls flour
2/3 cup of milk
dash of salt
dash of paprika
2-3 habs chopped fine(seeded, stem removed)
Melt butter in a RevereWare stainless steel pan, or similar, when butter liquid and bubbling, add the chopped habs, salt, and cook for a few minutes on medium...add in the flour, and mix well, so that the flour and the butter mix are solid lumps in the pan, then add the milk all at once, and stir with the mixing wisk...if too thick, add more milk, and the salt and paprika...I also add parsley chopped as well, the color mix is attractive...this is a hot cream sauce. mo hotta mo betta...add mo habs..less hotta, less habs! Simple,huh? Cheers
Source: Doug in BC via CH list

Peach Preserves for Cold Mornings

3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and quartered
l/2 medium-size orange, quartered and seeded
2 Red Savina habañeros, (seeds and all)
4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 Cup honey (the lightest, mildest you can find)
Combine peaches, sugar, and honey in a Dutch oven; stir well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Place knife blade attachment in food processor bowl; add orange quarters and habañero chiles. Process until finely chopped, stopping once to scrape down sides.
Place orange, habañero chiles, and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until orange rind is tender.
Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until candy thermometer registers 221,stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with a metal spoon.
Quickly pour hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process jars in boiling-water bath 5 minutes. Yield: 6 half-pints. *Source: Ed and Sharon Johnson via CH list
**My Notes: This is really good on vanilla ice cream. The heat level gets lost with good quality ice cream but stays with you have it with low-fat or frozen yogurt. I also dried red habaneros, not Red Savina (tm) so that probably had effect on heat level.

Go Back to the Pepper Page