Tag: SPICY

CHOCOLATE ANCHO CHILE CUPCAKES with ANCHO CHILE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING ~ BLOG 366.116

A friend and I are making the Cinco de Mayo dinner for the Eagles auxiliary on May 3rd and I have been experimenting with recipes for the dessert. These are dark chocolate cupcakes with a serious bite and are topped with a chili cream cheese frosting that has another back up bite.

CHOCOLATE ANCHO CHILE CUPCAKES with ANCHO CHILE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING yield 18-24 cupcakes

CUPCAKES
1 box devil’s food chocolate cake mix
1 ½ – 2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1 ¼ cups water
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 LARGE eggs

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
  • Whisk together the cake mix, ground ancho chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.
  • Beat in water, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.
  • Bake 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  • Cool completely before frosting.


FROSTING
1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1 small, dried red chili, chopped after seeds removed (optional – if you dare)
4 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
½ teaspoon clear PURE vanilla extract, or to taste
24 small dried red chiles (optional)


  • Sift together the ground ancho chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon with the powdered sugar in a large bowl.
  • Beat in softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
  • Add vanilla extract.
  • Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls.
  • Poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into frosting as a garnish if desired.

PAN FRIED HALIBUT with TOMATO BURST CHILE SAUCE ~ BLOG 366.102

PAN FRIED HALIBUT with TOMATO BURST CHILE SAUCE

Meaty and mild-flavored, firm-fleshed halibut with a flavorful sauce, made from burst cherry tomatoes, sizzled shallots and toasted garlic gives you a hearty, rib sticking satisfying meal. I had some leftover Mozzarella balls from the salad I made so I added those as I served and YUMMY!

2 + 2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil
4 garlic cloves, FINELY minced
1 small shallot, small diced
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces tomato sauce
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1¼ pounds halibut cut into 4 equal pieces
½ cup basil leaves, chiffonade

  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter and avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high.
  • Add garlic and shallots, cooking 2 minutes or so until they start to toast and turn light golden brown.
  • Add red-pepper flakes and swirl to toast for a few seconds.
  • Add tomatoes and sauce, simmering until tomato burst and and can easily be swirled into sauce.
  • Add basil chiffonades and blend.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.

  • In another skillet melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
  • Generously season fish fillets with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
  • Add fish to skillet and sear 5-6 minutes per side until fish is cooked through
  • Ladle a small amount of sauce to plate, add fish filet and ladle with more sauce.


NOTE: COD or FLUKE make a great substitution.

SOUTHWEST BLACK EYED PEAS ~ BLOG 366.89

SOUTHWEST BLACK EYED PEAS
1 pound black eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1 LARGE Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 ounces pork belly, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon FRESH minced thyme
4 cups homemade chicken stock
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 ham hocks

  • Place peas in a large dutch oven. Add water and cover by 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1-2 hours.
  • Drain and rinse peas. Set aside.
  • In the dutch oven heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add onion, sauteing until tender.
  • Add pork, garlic, green chiles, thyme, pepper flakes, FRESH ground salt and pepper, cooking 1 minute more.
  • Add the broth, peas and ham hocks.
  • Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered 35-40 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth as necessary.
  • Remove ham hocks, cool and remove meat from bone.
  • Finely chop meat and return to the pan.
  • Discard bones.

HAM & POTATO SOUP ~ BLOG 366.88

HAM & POTATO SOUP
1 3/4 pounds golden potatoes, peeled and large diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons WONDRA flour
2 cups WHOLE milk
2 cups diced cooked ham steak
FRESH chopped Italian parsley
Shredded cheese (optional)

  • In a stock pot stir together the broth, potatoes, celery and onions.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium low and cook 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  • Stir in seasoning, to taste.
  • In another pan melt butter.
  • Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until flour is smooth and golden.
  • Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.
  • Add in stock mixture, stirring until blended.
  • Add ham pieces and simmer 4-5 minutes.
  • Ladle into bowls and garnish. enjoy

BLUE CHEESE RANCH WEDGE with SWEET & SPICY BACON

With all the recent E. Coli scares with Romaine lettuce I decided to go back to good old iceburg lettuce.  A change in lettuce brings with it a change in dressing. Here is a favorite from Damaris Phillips with very few changes. This is a PERFECT recipe for us – hubby loves blue cheese more than I do so it’s a compromise that works. I love to top it with my swwet & spicy bacon – YUMMY!

BLUE CHEESE RANCH WEDGE with SWEET & SPICY BACON
DRESSING
1 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup FRESH basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup FRESH parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons sliced FRESH chives
1 teaspoon FRESH thyme leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (ALSO great with Gorgonzola)
FRESH coarsely ground sea salt black pepper
FRESH coarsely ground black pepper

  • Combine the creme fraiche, buttermilk, basil, parsley, chives, thyme, garlic, lemon juice and onion powder with a whisk in a medium bowl.
  • Fold in the blue cheese, season with salt and pepper.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SALAD
1 head iceberg lettuce, quartered and core removed
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar

  • Divide the lettuce wedges among 4 plates.
  • Top each with 1/4 cup of the dressing, the tomatoes, sliced green onions, sweet and spicy bacon.
  • Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
  • Eat right away!

SWEET & SPICY BACON adapted from GIADA
1 pound slab bacon, cut into 1-by-1/2-inch pieces **
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons FRANK’S original hot sauce

  • Place the bacon in an even layer in a large skillet.
  • Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often with spatula until the bacon is light golden brown, about 20 minutes.
  • Whisk together the maple syrup, black pepper and Frank’s in a small bowl.
  • Pour off some of the rendered bacon fat, leaving just a small amount.
  • Return the skillet to the heat and pour the maple syrup mixture over the bacon.
  • Braise gently until the syrup thickens and glazes the bacon and the bacon is deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  • Serve warm.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PULL APART BREAD

I found this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pull-Apart Bread on Facebook, you know one of those that they show you in video form in 30 seconds or less AND looks really scrumptious?  I was thinking of making it as an appetizer when our son and family are here at Christmas time, but needed to test it first. Well, it was HUGE success and I now make it more regularly.

Well, this recipe did not disappoint.  I made some of my homemade Farmhouse Buttermilk Dressing to go with it and the combination was addicting! Instead of an appetizer we added a salad and made it a meal.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PULL-APART BREAD
2 packages Pillsbury pizza dough (I used 1 recipe of my homemade pizza dough)
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I used original recipe Costco Rotisserie chicken)
1 cup Buffalo sauce (I used Frank’s Original Hot Sauce)
1/4 cup scallions, chopped (I used more, about double – we like onions)
2 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (I used regular jack cheese)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 jalapeno, sliced (OPTIONAL – I didn’t use)
Ranch dressing for dipping (I used a batch of Farmhouse Buttermilk Dressing)

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a bowl toss together the chicken, buffalo sauce, green onions and half the cheese.
  • Roll out dough and cut into 3×3 inch squares (about 30 squares total). **SEE NOTE
  • Brush each square with the melted butter.
  • Top each square with a spoonful of chicken mixtures and then a sprinkling of the remaining cheese.
  • Brush loaf pan with butter.
  • Stack each square on top of each other in your loaf pan with the chicken side up.
  • Brush top of bread with remaining butter.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake 40-50 minutes until golden and set.

NOTE:  The original recipe had you doing each square one at a time, but I found it much easier to do them all at once and then stack them in the loaf pan while it was standing on end for a more even and less messy build.

SHARING with FOODIE FRIDAY and TASTY THURSDAY.