In many Mexican and Latin America recipes, you will see a call for Chipotle peppers. This is not a pepper that you are going to find in the vegetable aisle. A Chipotle pepper is a smoked Jalapeno and normally it is preserved in a Adobo Sauce.

When in the grocery store it is called Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. This product is usually purchased in a can or jar and you will find it available under numerous brand names. Basically it is smoked Jalapeno chili peppers that are canned in a red sauce and this sauce typically is made of a … Continue Reading

When it comes to barbeque sauces, trying new tastes and flavors of sauce is the best part of barbequing.  Die hard BBQ fans loves to see what taste mixes well with the different meats and enjoy tweaking different recipes to find the perfect blend of spices and flavors.

This homemade raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce is great on a few racks of your favorite style ribs or brush some chicken in the barbecue sauce and grill the chicken until done. If you like your barbecue sauce with more of a hot kick, you can increase the chipotle chili peppers according to your … Continue Reading

Here is a nice twist on a delicious favorite BBQ sauce.  This barbecue sauce is great on grilled chicken or try making some homemade chicken skewers or kabobs using this Peanut-Red Chile Barbecue Sauce Recipe. Once you have made the barbecue sauce you will want to baste your chicken in the sauce before grilling and during the grilling process. It can also be used as a chicken marinade and bake your chicken in your home oven until done.

Peanut-Red Chile BBQ Sauce Recipe

1 tablespoon canola oil (or use vegetable oil)
3″ long piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped into small … Continue Reading

With fresh peppers abounding right now it’s a great time to look at a few ideas for enjoying peppers for a delicious lunch or light dinner.  Here are some great pepper sandwich ideas that you will enjoy over and over again!  They are great for a quick and easy preparation and the kids will enjoy them too!

Mozzarella Cheesy Pepper Sandwich

1 slice of Mozzarella cheese
1 roasted red or green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 slices of tomato
butter and bread

This is a twist on the classic grilled cheese sandwich! Butter one side of each slice of bread and place one slice in a preheated … Continue Reading

Back in the 1960s, Jan and Dean sang, “You won’t come back from deadman’s curve,” and it proved prescient when Jan was in a car accident on the same road mentioned in the song and suffered brain damage that lasted until he died a few years ago. Today, we have Deadman Hot Sauce, sporting a label that has the name of the sauce printed on yellow police tape and a chalk outline of a body with a bottle of the sauce lying nearby. Does this mean you won’t survive this sauce?

Well, there are no guarantees in life so who’s to say? But I will guarantee that you won’t find many classic red hot sauces that are hotter or more flavorful than Deadman. This is a sauce worth dying for because unlike most classic red hot sauces that are made with aged cayenne peppers, Deadman Hot Sauce is made with…er, aged red peppers. Continue Reading

There are so many peppers that are native to different regions around the world. Many of these pepper varieties have been transplanted from cultures that immigrated to other lands hundreds of years ago.  The Italian Wax Pepper is one of those peppers.

This pepper is a native of Northern California and has been growing in the unique climate there since the gold rush era. The name is actually a misnomer.  The Italian Wax Pepper was originally brought to this region by Chilean immigrants.  They settled in a region of Northern California much like their home land with valleys and mountain range … Continue Reading

We have talked a bit about using chocolate with peppers before.  Using Chocolate mixed with chipotle or cayenne in your favorite rub is an amazing addition that will make a big difference in the flavor enhancement of the meat.

People that have added some regular cocoa (not candy or hot cocoa mix as that has sugar in it) have been singing the praises because of the additional depth of flavor.  Ribs, both beef and pork, are coming off the grill with awesome flavor. Use it on your chicken and you will be loving it.  Many people are using it on roasts, … Continue Reading

Many cooks have a favorite fresh pepper soups that they enjoy when the harvest of peppers starts coming in.  There are abundant recipes for roasted or regular pepper soups.  Here are some prep tips for you to get your favorite peppers ready for soup creation.

Preparation for Roasted Pepper Soups:

Roasted Peppers are great to use in fall and early winter soups and stews and we recommend that you combine sweet peppers along with hot peppers to get the right pepper flavor. Typical ratio is approximately 3/4 sweet and 1/4 hot peppers.

You will want to use ripe peppers that have been picked … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups light beer
• 1 can (6-ounce) tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons bottled habanero hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• Salt to taste

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 8 cups ketchup
• 6 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
• 2 tablespoons liquid hickory smoke flavoring

Directions: Continue Reading

Peppers are a very versatile fruit.  They are wonderful in so many different ways.  Including them as your veggie side dish is really easy when you grill them in foil packets alongside of your meats.  This is a great method so you can enjoy your veggies grilled but not char them.

One of the easiest ways to grill peppers on a backyard barbecue grill is to make some homemade grill pouches out of aluminum foil and just place them directly onto your grill’s rack. You will need a piece of aluminum foil that measures about 12″ square and you will want … Continue Reading

InsaneChicken.com is now selling Chicks Dig Me Mango Chipotle Grilling Sauce. This Mango Chipotle Grilling Sauce is a perfect mild sauce for all occasions. These guys really know how to make great tasting sauces! 

This is the manufacturer describes the sauce on their web site. 

“Hell Guys, I really don’t know what it is about this stuff that gets the Yankee women all worked up, but I swear you’ll get lucky just putting this in the pantry!

And if bringing it home doesn’t work, try whispering in her ear…Mango … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 onion, diced
2 pounds large cooked shrimp – peeled, deveined, and cut in half
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
12 corn tortillas
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt to taste (optional)

Directions: Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken leg quarters
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• salt to taste

Directions: Continue Reading

Save some time in the kitchen and make your own chili infused olive oil.  This is great to use in soups, stews and other foods that you are preparing. It would also add a wonderful flavor to meats that need a bit of oil coating before barbecuing.   It is super simple and the taste is amazing.

There are two different methods that you can try out.  The first one uses roasted chilis of any kind.  Wash and dry two chili peppers and then cut off the stem and remove the seeds and membranes. Brush the entire chili pepper with some olive … Continue Reading

Living near the South West border of the US has its benefits.  You will find a lovely mixture of Mexican and American foods and the Red and Green Chile is one of the most popular ingredients that you will find in this New Mexican American Cuisine. This type of cuisine is popular in the South West including California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

It has been said that the state question in New Mexico is “Red or Green” although this pepper is hugely embraced in the other southwestern states as well.  The chile pepper that is used in this type of … Continue Reading

Pepper harvest will soon be on us and peppers can get a little prolific.  Here is a great way to sun dry and preserve your harvest for future use when the neighbors just won’t take any more from you.

Supplies Needed:

• Baking Sheet or Small Clean Window Screen
• Clean Bath/Beach Towels or Clean Bed Sheets
• Vinyl or Plastic Gloves (for handling the chili peppers safely)
• Paring Knife and a Cutting Board
• Clothes Pins or Small Clamps

Rinse your chili peppers under cool running water and pat dry with a towel. Using a knife, slice open the chili pepper length-wise, without cutting through the other side of the … Continue Reading

Chipotle peppers have become popular in the past few years but many people don’t know that a chipotle pepper is basically a smoked jalapeno pepper.  It comes in many forms and can be used many ways.

Two of the most popular ways of using Chipotle pepper is in its ground form, which you can find at many markets with a large seasoning or international section or in a specialty store.  The other popular way to purchase chipotle is in an adobo sauce.  This adds more smoky and depth to the flavor of this pepper.
Many people use the ground form in rubs … Continue Reading

One of the most popular uses of peppers has to be in the preparation of salsa.  Families have their trademark recipes and there are so many different varieties that you can make depending on the levels of peppers, tomatoes and other ingredients. It is a taste free for all.  With so many different uses for salsa, we thought we would share our top 15 or more uses so next time you which up a gallon of your favorite salsa, you might try it in a few new ways.  This is especially good for those watching your weight. Salsa is a … Continue Reading

The two most common types of fresh peppers you will find in an Asian stir-fry are the sweet green pepper and the hot chili pepper. When selecting fresh peppers for a stir-fry you want to select peppers that are free of blemishes and look for peppers that have a firm (not wrinkled) skin. When handling chili peppers make sure you protect your hands by wearing vinyl gloves.

To make an Asian Stir-Fry dish you really don’t need a recipe. You simply need a wok, some vegetable or olive oil, freshly chopped vegetables, chopped meat and some sauce or marinade. Stir-Fry’s are … Continue Reading

If you love peppers, then you know that peppers are not just for lunch and dinner. They can be enjoyed for snacks and for breakfast too!  Here are some thoughts on how to expand your enjoyment with peppers.

When it comes to using peppers in breakfast dishes, the two you will probably use the most are the green, yellow or red bell pepper and the hot spicy red chili pepper. If you like a sweet and mild pepper taste, use the bell pepper and if you want a spicy kick to your dish then use red chili peppers.

Breakfast: Peppers are wonderful … Continue Reading

Did you know that Paprika is made from peppers?  It actually is from bell peppers or chili peppers and ground into a powder that we know as Paprika.  Paprika, and the Capsicum from the pepper, is unusually rich in vitamin C.   After it is ground, a lot of the vitamin C content is retained in the paprika; it contains more vitamin C by weight than lemon juice. Paprika, as with other peppers, is also high in other antioxidants.  Of course you would have to ingest a lot of paprika to retract all of the nutrients, but overall it is a … Continue Reading

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions: Continue Reading

I don’t know about you but sometimes when cooking there will be a reference to chili powder and chile powder. Questions come up often on what is the difference between these two chilis.  So here is a bit of reference to the difference between the chili’s and the chile’s.

In most cookbooks and recipes, plenty of references are made for using chili powder.  This is a traditional spice that can be found in your spice section produced many major manufacturers.  It consists of a blend of various chili peppers, cumin, oregano, salt and dehydrated garlic.  It isn’t a true chili powder … Continue Reading

We love our peppers but sometimes even the best of us get that burning sensation after eating a super hot pepper dish or whole pepper. Our mouth and throat is on fire! Our face gets red and we start to sweat!!  There may be help for you! Here are a few remedies that can help cool down that afterburn going on inside.

* Drink Milk: If the heat is too much for you to stand try drinking a full glass of cow’s milk. (whole milk works best).

* Eat Ice Cream or Yogurt: Eating ice cream or yogurt after eating peppers may … Continue Reading