cayenne pepper

  • Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa

    Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa
    Beer Battered Shrimp Taco with Pineapple Salsa
    (Serves 4)

    Beer Batter
    ¾ can of beer, (8oz)
    1/3 cup flour, white all purpose
    ½ tblsp garlic, dried granulated
    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
    ½ tsp black pepper
    1 tsp salt

    32-40 shrimp
    1&rac12; tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun Spice
    1½ - 2 cups of canola oil (or other frying oil)
    ½ Roma tomato, diced very small
    1/3 red onion, diced very small
    1 jalapeno, most of the seeds can be removed, diced very small
    ¼ - 1/3 cup pineapple, diced very small
    ½ carrot, cut into small sticks (julienne) then dice small
    ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, minced
    juice of ½ lime
    5 cabbage leaves, julienne very thin
    8 soft taco shells, corn or flour (I prefer corn in this recipe)
    ½ cup shredded cheese, any variety, I used the mozzarella/provolone blend

    NOTES: I used the 25 per lb shrimp, if you are using smaller shrimp, say the 50 per pound then double the amount of shrimp, on the other end if you're using 12 per pound shrimps, use half as many shrimp, @20.

    In a medium bowl mix the flour, garlic, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Add the beer slowly, mixing with a whisk or fork until the batter resembles glue, then add a little more beer. Keep cold until ready to use.

    Make your salsa right away, so it has time "to marry" inside a bowl. Mix well, the tomato, onion, jalapeno, pineapple, carrot, mint leaves, 1 tsp salt and the juice of ½ lime. Set aside or in the fridge.

    Slice up and set aside your cabbage, set aside or in the fridge

    Get your oil in a small pot and bring it up to 365°F using a hot oil thermometer. Otherwise medium heat but a smidgen more. If the oil smokes too much its too hot. You can test the heat with a drop of batter, it should crisp up alone in 8-10 seconds.

    Coat your shrimp with Tony' Chachere's Cajun spice (or just use salt and pepper). Dip your shrimp in the batter. I do 4-5 at a time. Put the shrimps, one at a time, into the hot oil. Leave in until crispy golden in color, about 1+½ minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

    All those steps could be done in advance. When guests arrive, pop the shrimps back in the oven on warming temp and start a skillet on medium heat, one by one heat up one side of the tortilla, flip it over, add some cheese, let it melt remove from heat and assemble the taco. Tortilla, cheese, shrimp (4-5 per taco), a small hand-full of shredded cabbage and some delicious pineapple salsa on top, don't be scared, heap it on!

    Repeat three more times for round one!

    Start round two after you've eaten the first one, or just get it over with :) Delicious - enjoy!

  • Black Bean Butter

    Black Bean Butter
    Black Bean Butter
    1 can black beans, drained
    1 stick of unsalted (sweet cream) butter, room temperature
    1 tsp granulated garlic
    1 tsp smoked paprika
    2 tsp Kosher salt
    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
    ½ tsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
     
    NOTES: Makes an exceptional base for nachoes, especially if the the cheese is ladled over the black bean butter so it melts a bit.

    Instructions

    Mix the softened stick of butter with the spices and the chicken base. Once that is mixed well add the black beans and either mash until all beans are fine or use a 'burr' mixer or blender to incorperate the beans into the butter. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

  • Chicken Legs, Roasted

    Chicken Legs, Roasted
    Chicken Legs, Roasted
    (Serves 2)


    6 Chicken Legs
    ½ tsp salt
    ½ tsp ground black pepper
    ½ tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
    ¼ tsp thyme
    ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper


    NOTES:You can baste the chicken legs in your favorite marinade or brine before using this method. I make a Tandoori spice blend which you could substitute for the spices here and still follow the instructions. You can't go wrong!

    Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

    Coat the chicken legs evenly with all the spices.

    Line a sheet pan with tinfoil and lightly oil an area for the legs to sit on, place the chicken legs on the tinfoil in the pan and place in lower center of the oven for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes flip the chicken over and bake for another 12-15 minutes, depending how large the legs are. If you like then a bit more color in them place under tour broiler for a minute or 2, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Serve with your favorite sides like mashed potatoes and gravy or some rob-a-roni!

  • Chili Lime Chicken Coconut Soup

    Chili Lime Chicken Coconut Soup
    Chili Lime Chicken Coconut Soup
    (Serves @ 6-10)
    2-3 Chicken breasts, boneless, cut into ¼ inch strips
    1 tblsp chili powder, mix together with the salt below
    ¾ tblsp salt
    lime zest, from 5 limes
    5 limes, squeezed for their juice
    2 lg cans of coconut milk
    10 cups of chicken stock
    1 stalk of lemon grass, optional, OR zest of 2 lemons
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp white pepper
    1 roasted jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
    1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    2 corn tortillas, cut into 1½ inch by ¼ inch sliced strips and fried crispy
    1 green onion, optional, sliced thin
    NOTES:

    Bring stock to a simmer and stir in salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper.
    Now add the roasted jalapeno lime zest and lime juice and lemon grass/zest if using.
    Now turn heat to low, add coconut milk. Don't let the coconut milk boil as it may separate.
    Taste and adjust seasoning or salt.

    Roll the raw chicken strips into the mixture of salt and chili powder and then cut into small ½ inch pieces. Drop into soup and stir. The chicken should not take long to cook in the soup, around 3-5 minutes.

    Serve and garnish with chopped scallion and crispy tortilla strips.

  • Peanut Sauce

    Peanut Sauce
    Peanut Sauce
    (Make @ 4 cups)


    2 cups peanut butter
    2 cloves finely minced garlic
    ¼ cup white wine vinegar
    ¼ cup lime juice
    ½ cup soy sauce
    ¼ cup sesame oil
    3 tblsp sugar
    1/8th tsp curry powder
    1/8 cup peanut oil
    ¾ tsp cayenne pepper
    8 tblsp coconut milk

    NOTES: I like to use chunky peanut butter, but most recipes use regular peanut butter.
     

    Using a food processor or blender combine all ingredients and puree. Taste and adjust consistency if necessary. If it's too thick add some more coconut milk, if it's too thin add a little more peanut butter.

    Delicious over chicken skewers and on thin pasta served at room temperature with green onions. Yum!

  • Ras El Hanout

    Ras El Hanout, Spice Blend
    Ras El Hanout (Spice Blend)
    (Makes @2 tblsp)


    1 tsp ground ginger
    1 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp salt
    3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/2 tsp ground coriander
    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
    1/2 tsp ground allspice
    1/4 tsp ground cloves


    NOTES: Ras El Hanout means 'head of the shop' traditionally, the best spices the merchant has to offer, although the ingredients and amounts differs per region as they all have their own blend. It is prominent in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and other North African Regions.
     

    Mix all ingredients together.
    This is a great blend for lamb dishes, vegetables or used in region specific dishes like Bastilla/Pastilla/B'stilla and Tagines.

  • Roasted Whole Chicken

    Roasted Whole Chicken
    Roasted Whole Chicken
    (Makes 1 cup)

    1 whole chicken, 2.25lbs to 3.5lbs (WOG)s
    ¼ cup mustard (your favorite)
    1 tsp granulated garlic
    ½ tsp cayenne pepper
    ½ lemon
    butchers twine (to truss the chicken)

    NOTES: (WOG) = With Out Giblets. There are many ways to truss a chicken. Look it up and find your favorite technique!

    Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

    Coat the chicken with the mustard, then sprinkle the garlic, and cayenne over the chicken.

    Place the ½ lemon inside the chickens cavity.

    Make sure you have a long enough piece of butchers twine and truss up the chicken.

    Start by tying a loop around one wings base and run the twine to the other wing securing them both to the chickens body, then run the string around one of the drum sticks and then after looping it secure the last drumstick (leg) to the other drumsticks leg and tie a knot. Trim off any excess string.

    Pre-heat oven to 350° F

    Roast in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165° F.

    Let rest 5 minutes, then serve.

  • Spicy Sweet Refrigerator Pickles

    Spicy Sweet Refridgerator Pickles
    Spicy Sweet Refrigerator Pickles
    (Makes enough to pickle about 1 lb of vegetables)

    6 pickling cucumbers
    1¼ cup water
    ¾ cup white vinegar
    ¼ cup sugar
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    3/4 tblsp salt
    1/2 tblsp pickling spice
    ¾ tsp dill seed
    ½ tsp red pepper flakes
    1 tsp cayenne pepper
    2 springs of fresh dill

    NOTES: I love mixing the baby peeled carrots with thick slices of pickling cucumber - great to snack on!

    Mix all ingredients well, until the sugar dissolves, except cucumbers. When sugar has dissolved add in the cucumbers.
    After a day they should be ready depending on how you like them. Keeping them in their liquid for many weeks, if you can wait that long to eat them!

  • Thanksgiving Balls

    Thanksgiving Balls
    Thanksgiving Balls
    (Serves 4)


    Frozen Center Mixture
    4 pack 2 inch ice molds
    4 oz cranberry sauce, for the first 4
    4 oz turkey or beef gravy, for the second 4

    Turkey Mixture
    1 lb ground turkey
    ⅓ cup Italian Breadcrumbs
    1 medium egg
    ¾ tsp thyme
    1½ tsp salt
    ¼ tsp sage
    ¼ cayenne pepper
    ¼ white pepper

    Stuffing Layer 1 box of Stove Top Stuffing (Turkey Flavor)
    (Requires 4 tblsp butter and 1½ cups water)

    Mashed Potatoes
    2 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into even chunks
    4 tblsp sweet butter
    ⅓ cup whole milk
    2-3 tsp salt, to taste
    ¼ tsp white pepper

    ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs for coating the balls before frying


    NOTES:These can be baked, after rolling them in the breadcrumbs, spritz with spray release or olive oil and bake for 12-15 miniutes at 400°F. And the frozen center, you can freeze the bottom half first of gravy, then after 2 hours open and fill the rest of the way with cranberry sauce, then you will have a split center! make an exact amount, you need aproximately ¼ lb turkey for every extra ball you want. I suppose if you used the jelled cranberry sauce in a can you can simply cut out a 2x2 inch square and put that on top before rolling into a ball. Also the longer they remain in the refridgerator the more likely the bottom will get wet and the ball will leak a bit. So its best to time the dethawing of the center right before cooking. I had a few and let one sit a day and another sit two days, they both leaked but held together and ultimately fried perfectly.

    Place the gravy, once it has cooled down into the mold, up to the fill line only! Place the top of the mold on and gently push the top into the mold, hopefully very little will leak out the top hole, which allows the mold to be full but not too full! Fill the other molds with gravy and then 2 of them with cranberry sauce. (or just do one or the other depending on your likes! Place in the freezer until solid, at least 2 hours depending on your freezer. It easiest to make these a day in advance and use them once you have all the layers cooked and cooled (except for the turkey of course).

    Divide the turkey mixture into 4 balls. place a piece of plastic wrap down for each of the balls, or you can get one larger piece of plastic wrap and when its time to roll them, cut into four sections with a strait knife. Now for each of the turkey mixture balls get anothe top peice of plastice wrap a place on top of each ball, centering the balls between the plastic wrap, with a rolling pin, flatten the balls into a circle ¼ inch deep. Once all four are flattened remove and discard the top plastic wrap, leaving the bottom plastic wrap in place.

    Turkey before rolling

    Place a couple tablespoons of stuffing on top of each flat turkey patty right in the center and gingerly spreadit into a circle being careful not to flatten the already flattened turkey patty. make sure to leave some turkey showing on the edges of each patty.

    Now do the same with the mashed potatoes, place 2 tablespoons worth on top of the stuffing and spread out but not to the edges.

    pop the frozen gravy and/cranberry sauce out of their molds (remove the top and use a butter knife to pop it out). Place in the very center of each turkey patty into the mashed potatoes, press it in lightly.

    Now using the plastic roll the edges as close together as you can and slip your whole hand under the turkey, we are now leaving the bottom plastic wrap behind as we finish cupping the ball in one hand and using our other hand to crimp together the turkey edges, once crimped together you can kind of roll the ball in your hands to some out and make round. But be sure the turkey has held together beacause once this goes in to cook the center will have gone from frozen to melted. So now they are held together and are round, you can roll them in the Italian breadcrumbs to get an even coat, then cover and put in the fridge to firm up the outside and let the center melt. I left mine in the fridge over night in tupperware. But leave in the fridge for 3-4 hours at least.

    Turkey after rolling

    I used a deep sauce pot to fry these in. Add ½ vegetable oil to a deep fry pan or sauce pan and put on medium low until it hits 350°F. Fry the giant turkey ball for a total of 8-10 minutes, let it fry for 1 minute at a time until all sections are golden brown, then keep the ball moving for the last three minutes to maintain an even brown coating

    You can present these on a giant platter for a guest to grab or what I did was, add a dollap or 2 of cranberry sauce in the center of the plate and place the ball on top, I finished mine off with a sprinkle of basil. You can always swap out the dollap of cranberry with: gravy, mashed potaoes, rice, cheese sauce, what ever hits your fancy!