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Tag: jalapeno

  • Linguine Carbonara

    6 Chopped bacon slices or 1 Cup of diced pancetta
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    4 Crushed garlic cloves
    1/2 Tbsp minced rosemary
    1 minced/seeded jalapeno (optional)
    2/3 Lb cooked linguine
    3 Eggs
    3/4 grated Parmesan/Agiago/Pecorino cheese blend
    2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
    Pinch of pepper

    Combine first five ingredients and 1/4 cup of water in a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat so the water evaporates and the bacon/pancetta crisps; about 12 minutes. If using pancetta, you may want to crisp it slightly before adding the water and other ingredients just to give it a head start.

    Add cooked linguine to the skillet and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, parsley and pepper together and whisk in 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Toss with pasta until creamy.

  • Grilled Chicken with Cucumber-Melon Salsa

    4-6 (6 oz) Skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs
    4 Cups of buttermilk

    For Salsa:
    1 Cup Cubed honeydew melon
    1 Cup cubed cantaloupe
    1/2 Cup Diced peeled English cucumber
    1/2 Cup diced onion
    1/4 Cup chopped fresh mint
    1 Tsp lime zest
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
    2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    2 Tsp diced jalapeno pepper
    1 Tsp light agave nectar
    3/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1/2 Tsp fresh ground black pepper

    Pre-soak chicken in buttermilk for an hour or so. Buttermilk helps chicken retain moisture while cooking and ensures a rich flavor.

    Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Combine ingredients for salsa stirring in 1/4 Tsp salt and 1/4 Tsp pepper.

    Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 Tsp salt and 1/4 Tsp black pepper. Remove chicken from buttermilk and grill 5-7 min on each side until done. Serve with salsa; garnish with mint sprigs if desired.

  • Salsa Verde

    We tweak this salsa verde recipe constantly because we have not quite reached the goal, which is to duplicate the amazing flavor of the famous Santana’s salsa verde. Now this is a good problem to have since it means we have salsa verde on hand at all times for use on everything from tostadas, or pork tacos or heuvos rancheros.

    Please let us know how yours turns out!

    1 Lb (about 10) tomatillos
    3/4 Cup of fresh cilantro
    2 Cloves of garlic (peeled)
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1 Jalapeno stemmed, seeded
    1 Habanero stemmed, seeded
    1/2 Large white onion
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

    Peel husk from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Slice tomatillos in half and place flat-side down on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Place under the broiler for about 10-12 minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos is blackened. EVERY broiler is different, so keep an eye on the tomatillos after about 5 minutes just to make sure. Remove tomatillos from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

    Combine the cilantro, garlic, habenero, jalapeno, onion, lime juice and tomatillos in food processor and blend. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything blends evenly. Pour contents of the food processor into a bowl and let cool. Salsa is ready to use after it cools, however, we have found that flavor improves if the salsa is refrigerated over night.

  • Vegetable Samosas

    These pea and potato samosas are open many interpretations of seasoning and spice. This recipe includes one jalapeno, for about 14-16 samosas and the spice is very reasonable. If you want to spice it up consider adding more jalapeno or a habanero pepper.

    3-4 Potatoes (peeled, boiled & mashed)
    1 Cup green peas (boiled)
    1-2 Jalapenos (finely chopped)
    1/2 Tsp ginger (crushed)
    1/4 Tbsp coriander
    1/4 Tsp cumin
    1/4 Tsp paprika
    1/2 Tsp garam masala
    1/4 Tsp salt to taste
    1/4 Tsp chili powder
    1 Tbsp unsalted butter
    1 Package of 2 sheets frozen puffed pastry

    Mix peas, peppers, ginger, coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt and chili powder into mashed potatoes. Be sure to mix thoroughly by folding seasoning into the potatoes from inside out.

    Cut puffed pastry dough into rectangles roughly 3X4 and place one tablespoon of mixture in the middle of the rectangle; fold dough into a triangle by stretching the dough over the ball of filling. Press edges together firmly to seal and place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat this process trying to match filling volume to available dough. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When finished you should have 12-15 samosas on the cookie sheet. Melt butter and brush each samosa lightly on top.

    Place samosas on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  • Grilled New York Strip with Pomegranate Chile Sauce

    Sauce Ingredients:

    1/3 Cup sugar
    1/2 Cup water
    2 Cups of 100% pomegranate juice
    2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
    1 Fresh anaheim chile (stemmed and seeded)*
    1 Red jalapeno chile (stemmed and seeded)*
    1 1/2 Tsp adobo sauce from tin of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
    1 1/2 Tsp balsamic vinegar

    *Can be subbed with dried chiles, but be sure to seed.

    For sauce:

    In a large sauce pan add broth and pomegranate juice over medium heat; chop chiles into 1/2 inch pieces and add to sauce pan. In a separate small-medium size sauce pan stir sugar into water over medium heat. When sugar dissolves, increase heat and boil for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add to the broth/juice stirring thoroughly. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for about 25 minutes to reduce. Once sauce is reduced, remove from heat and cool. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in adobo sauce, vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    For steak:

    Rub steak on both sides with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper. Drizzle each side of the meat with olive oil. Prep coals or heat gas grill to medium-high temperature. Once grill is ready, add meat and grill for 7 minutes each side (medium rare-medium temperature for 1 lb cut at 1.5 inch thickness). Remove from heat and let rest for 5 + minutes. When ready, slice meat and serve, drizzling pomegranate chile sauce over meat once plated.

  • Chicken Paillards with Clementine Salsa

    This is a recipe based on an original recipe seen in the December issue of bon apetit, but we added our own touch of spice by adding jalapenos among other things.

    4 Chicken breast halves
    4 Clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
    1 Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
    1/2 Cup diced red onion
    1/2 Cup diced celery
    1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
    1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    1/4 Tsp Salt
    1/4 Tsp Pepper
    2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    2 Tbsp lime juice
    1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    1/2 Cup clementine juice

    Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper, separating . Using tenderizer or mallet, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

    Mix clementines, tomatoes, onion, celery, basil, cilantro, salt and extra-virgin olive oils in medium bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature.

    Uncover chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 -4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet and stir/scrape chicken bits from pan; boil until reduced for about 2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over chicken add salsa and serve.