Tag Archives: pepper

Cilantro Chutney

Recipe for The Daring Kitchen
Mary, who writes the delicious blog, Mary Mary Culinary was our August Daring Cooks’ host. Mary chose to show us how delicious South Indian cuisine is! She challenged us to make Appam and another South Indian/Sri Lankan dish to go with the warm flat bread.
No hyperbole employed here, but my god, this stuff is glorious. Like draw a bathtub full of the stuff and take a dip. And maybe use some naan for a towel. What? Too much?

I first fell in love with this chutney at my favorite Indian restaurant in Northern Virginia, Raaga. There, they serve the stuff on their lunch buffet in a huge punch bowl with a ladle that just sings to me to scoop to my hearts content. I would have sold my soul for the recipe and called it a day. Continue reading Cilantro Chutney

Fresh Tomato Salsa

There’s something to be a said for a good recipe passed on from trusted cook to trusted cook.  Finding one of these gems is truly like finding a hidden treasure – the question is whether you’ll share once you do.  Given that I’m not at all proprietary, and I love the fact that these posts get you guys cooking, eating and sharing in turn, how could I not pass it on!

This one comes from my grandmother, Vo, who was given this recipe by a friend, who in turn received it from her grandmother – the same recipe that she used back in Mexico.  Something as seemingly pedestrian as salsa becomes a celebration of the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the piquant flavor of jalapeno.  I was surprised to learn that there’s nary the lime or bit of oil in this one – just veggies and goodness. Continue reading Fresh Tomato Salsa

Spicy Mac with Chorizo and Jack

So, my friends, it seems that the macaroni and cheese adventure continues with this spicy, south of the border version.  Clever name aside (come on, you love that I rhymed mac with jack), this is full of piquant flavors and lovely texture that will become a welcomed departure from the usually cheddar pasta conglomeration.  If you like things hotter than hot, use a hefty pinch of cayenne pepper when making your cheese sauce.  Or dice a little chopped jalapeno into the mix as you saute the veggies.  I use mexican-style smoked chorizo for this, but you can also crumble and brown fresh chorizo, or dice a nice andouille sausage as well.  The choice is yours, dolls.

Spicy Mac and Cheese with Chorizo and Jack © Spice or Die

The bechamel for the macaroni and cheese is similar to most of the other versions I’ve posted, with the exception of the milk.  Here I use canned, evaporated milk of the fat-free variety, which provides lovely creaminess with half the fat.  Another variation is that in most of my mac and cheese recipes, I bake the entire thing after saucing.  This version is actually perfectly lovely unbaked and topped with a smattering of sliced scallions.  It’s excellent weekday eating – heck, you could even replace the chorizo for browned ground beef for truly the best Hamburger Helper you may ever have on this green earth.  Given that actual Hamburger Helper is abysmal, this isn’t much of a challenge.  Cook on!

Spicy Mac with Chorizo and Jack

1 lb of elbow macaroni
1/2 c. of chopped piquillo peppers (roasted reds are fine)
2 tbs. of onion, finely chopped
1 lb. of smoked chorizo, diced
3 c. of evaporated milk
4 tbs. of butter
4 tbs. of flour
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1 tsp. of mustard
3/4 tsp. of garlic powder
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 c. of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 c. of pepper jack, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.

While pasta is boiling, make your sauce. In a large sized pot, melt your butter on medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the piquillo peppers and stir. Whisk the flour into the butter to form a smooth paste.  Slowly add the milk in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Add the salt, black pepper, mustard and garlic powder. Turn up heat and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, whisking until melted.  Stir in diced chorizo and taste for spice.  Add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste.

Toss macaroni and sauce in a large bowl. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then serve.