Tag Archives: spicy

BARBECUE SAUCE

03 Friday Jan 2014

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To get the holiday season started, we sent out invitations for, what used to be our annual, Fall Fling. This is a party that we hosted for years, until my husbands mother became sick around the time we usually planned it, and we decided to take a hiatus. Actually, the intermission lasted for a few years, but my husband was intent on reinstating our tradition for the 2013 Holiday Season.
As it happened, it was less work for me to have more than a hundred people in my house, than it is to host a sit-down dinner party for 14.
I cleaned the house, bought prepared foods and made Barbecue Sauce – my husband roasted a whole pig, arranged for 3 wonderful girls to come help out, and organized the beer, wine and band.

The Razorback Band
On our front lawn!!
Complete with Twirlers!!


BARBECUE SAUCE

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup Heinz chile sauce
1/4 cup Tabasco
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool then transfer to a jar.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Magazine
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

HOT AND SPICY PIMENTO CHEESE DIP

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Dips

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We must appear to be Halloween misers – it’s true we turn off all the lights and don’t hand out candy to people who venture to knock at our door on October the 31st. However, the truth is, we sneak out through the garage, and hasten to a friends house in the neighborhood. A wonderful group of neighbors  gather together – the Dads typically take the kids from house to house, trick-or-treating and the Mums stay and hand out sweets and treats (and have a glass of wine).
We have attempted Halloween traditions at our house, but the street lighting is dim, and our sidewalks are uneven and overgrown in parts, so we dont have many brave souls willing to risk a real live fright, like tripping over irregular concrete, for candy.
I loaded up my basket with two big bags of candy, a hostess gift, a bottle of wine, a box of crackers and this Hot and Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip.

HOT AND SPICY PIMENTO CHEESE DIP

1 onion, finely diced
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 (4-ounce) jar of diced pimentos, drained
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper
crackers to serve

Heat oven to 350F.
Cook onion in a skillet, until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheeses and pimentos. Remove from heat, add the hot pepper sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon into baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with crackers.
Enjoy!

SWEET AND SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN with HOT PEPPER SUCCOTASH

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in main, Vegetables

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My husband and I had been invited to appear in a commercial at a local restaurant, and since we would be sampling lots of outstanding food, I made a Mexican fiesta for the kids to enjoy at home – cheese quesadillas, enchiladas and refried beans.
However, my husband called to say the shoot had been postponed due to the awful weather, we were expecting thunderstorms and tornadoes in our area. I had been to the grocery store earlier in the day, and had the ingredients to make this tasty pork tenderloin. The meal came together very quickly, and paired with a salad and outdoor dining, it was close to outstanding.
The kids swam in the pool after dinner, and 45 minutes later we were sequestered in the basement with our guinea pig, parakeets, dog, pet rats, blankets and pillows, snacks and board games, bicycle helmets and shoes. Almost as exciting as being in a commercial.

SWEET AND SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN with HOT PEPPER SUCCOTASH

1 pound pork tenderloin
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 tablespoons brown sugar
salt

Remove visible fat from the pork, slice.
Mix cumin, coriander, cayenne and brown sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle pork with salt, then coat pieces in the spice mixture.
Place pork in a hot pan coated with cooking spray, and cook pork until done, about 7 to 10 minutes on each side.

HOT PEPPER SUCCOTASH

1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups frozen baby lima beans
3 tablespoons jalapeno pepper jelly
3 green onions, thinly sliced
salt

Warm stock and oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add corn and beans and cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until beans are tender. Reduce heat to medium-high, add jelly, stirring until it melts and coats vegetables. Add green onions and salt to taste.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 2012
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

SPICY CHICKEN AND CORN CHOWDER and ROASTED CAULIFLOWER POTATO SOUP

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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I am hoping we have seen the last of the really cold winter weather – I’m ready for Spring and the joys of a warmer season.
However, I will definitely make the best of the remaining chill in the air and enjoy the pleasures that come with it – lighting the fire in the dining room and eating dinner in front of its warm glow, and cooking hearty fare.
These soups aren’t too heavy, but have enough depth and vigor to stand up to the still cool weather.

SPICY CHICKEN AND CORN CHOWDER

2 cups chicken stock
2 chicken breasts
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans corn
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup half and half
cilantro

In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken and just enough water to cover, simmer, covered until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a plate and reserve broth. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces, set aside.
Cook bacon, onion and garlic in a pot over medium heat, until the bacon is crisp and vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.
Add corn, jalapeño, salt, pepper and red pepper to taste, and reserved chicken broth and cook a further 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in half and half, chicken and bacon and cook just until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with cilantro.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 2012
ww.nwaonline.com/…/2012/…/icebox-cake-recipe-still-provides-chi…

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER POTATO SOUP

1 head cauliflower, core removed and cut into florets
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buffalo sauce
blue cheese crumbles

Heat oven to 400F. Prepare a rimmed baking tray with foil and spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower and potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, saute shallot in remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour in chicken stock, roasted cauliflower and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered.
Puree in blender in batches. Add puree back to the pot and warm the soup to a slight simmer. Add cream, cheese and buffalo sauce (I made this soup for the whole family, so left the buffalo sauce on the side). Stir until cheese is melted and soup is warmed through.
Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and drizzle a little buffalo sauce on top for an extra kick.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Noble Pig
http://noblepig.com/2013/01/cheesy-buffalo-roasted-cauliflower-potato-soup/

WARM OLIVE SAUTE and WARM PIQUILLO CRAB DIP

30 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Dips

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We’ve not been the best of neighbors in the 11 years that we have lived in this house. Oh nothing awful like loud parties at all hours, hurling trash over the fence or having broken down cars on the front lawn, but we definitely haven’t reached out as much as I think we should have.
We finally made a time to invite the wonderful people that surround us, both new and established, for an informal Happy Hour, and what a fabulous hour (or more) it was. 
It was fabulous even though my youngest sampled a “grape” – which was actually a very spicy olive from the warm olive saute – that not only burned his mouth and throat, but also his eyes which he had rubbed with his spice speckled fingers. It was fabulous even through my attempt to be a gracious hostess while rinsing eyes out with water and calming a wailing child, because at the end of it all, I simply remembered the warmth and joy of spending time with our neighbors.
WARM OLIVE SAUTE 
Saute peel from 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, in 1/3 cup of hot olive oil in a skillet, for 1 minute. 
Add 1 1/2 cups mixed olives, 10 peppadew peppers, 1 cored and sliced fennel bulb and 1/2 cup roasted, lightly salted almonds.
Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until fennel is crisp tender.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Southern Living, December 2009
www.southernliving.com › Food › Recipes
WARM PIQUILLO CRAB DIP

1 pound lump crab, picked over
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup manchego cheese, shredded
9 ounces of piquillo peppers, drained and cut into strips

Heat oven to 350F.
In a bowl, combine the crab, mayonnaise, creme fraiche, parsley, chives, mustard, lemon juice and 3/4 cup of the manchego cheese. Spread the crab mixture in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and top with the piquillos. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and the dip is warmed through.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2008
www.foodandwine.com/monthly/september-2008

SPICY SWEET POTATO DIP

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in Dips

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A friend had just got back from a fabulous trip to Italy, and I was so excited to see her and hear about her adventures. I took along this spicy sweet potato dip – although a little unconventional, it was rather healthy and oddly delicious, especially when spread on a warm piece of crusty bread.

SPICY SWEET POTATO DIP

2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into small chunks, and cooked
3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
crusty bread to serve

In a food processor, combine the cooked sweet potatoes, toasted nuts, chipotle pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, smoked paprika, cumin and olive oil.
Process until completely smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately or at room temperature, with crusty bread.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 2012
www.arkansasonline.com/news/subscriber/features/