Dinner last night: Spicy oven-roasted okra and Spicy garlic edamame

https://food52.com/recipes/23374-spicy-oven-roasted-okra

http://www.skinnytaste.com/spicy-garlic-edamame/

Photo and recipe credits: https://food52.com/ and http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Cherry tomato and chile gazpacho

I love a bowl of cool gazpacho on a hot day- and hot days are plentiful right now.  This delicious recipe from Giada de Laurentiis is cool AND hot- the chiles make it pretty spicy, which I love.  Our polenta croutons didn't really brown, so we thought they were just ok.  I ate the leftover gazpacho the next day with chips as a salsa, so it's a double-duty recipe!

CHERRY TOMATO AND CHILE GAZPACHO

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Gazpacho:

1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups)

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and coarsely chopped

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and coarsely chopped

1 large shallot, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning

Croutons:

Vegetable oil, for frying

1/2 tube (9 ounces) store-bought, pre-cooked polenta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I found this in the organic section at Kroger)

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Instructions

For the gazpacho: Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, chiles, shallot, garlic, vinegar, hot sauce, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.

For the croutons: In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan with 1 inch of oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.)

Working in batches, carefully add the polenta cubes and fry, stirring occasionally to keep the cubes separated, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

To serve: Ladle the gazpacho into 4 soup bowls and top with the polenta croutons.

Chicken satay sliders

We had Rachael Ray's satay sliders for dinner this week. They have a spicy, Asian flavor- delicious! The original recipe had lots of options/substitutes, so I noted below where I made changes.

Satay Sliders
Yield: 8 sliders

Sauce:
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/4 cup apple juice, apple cider or pineapple juice (I used pineapple)
3 tablespoons Tamari (I used regular soy sauce)
1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce, or 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (I used sriracha)

Sliders:
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey (I used ground chicken)
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
salt and pepper
vegetable oil, for coating
8 slider sized soft rolls

Toppings:
shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce
sliced chile peppers, such as fresnos
thinly sliced radishes (Yuck- skipped these)
mint or cilantro leaves (I used mint)

Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high.

Mix the meat with the green onion, garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the meat and portion into 8 patties. Coat each with a small amount of vegetable oil. Grill, turning once, until cooked through – 6 to 8 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the peanut butter in the microwave to soften, or in a small pot over medium heat. Stir in the juice, tamari/soy sauce and sriracha.

When the burgers are cooked through, serve them on the buns with a generous amount of satay sauce and your desired toppings.

Grilled corn on the cob with roasted jalapeno butter

Last week we made a spicy chicken recipe from Rachael Ray that we decided was just average (kind-of hard to make a chicken breast turn into anything too exciting), but I served it with Cooking Light's grilled corn on the cob with roasted jalapeno butter, which was a big hit! Delicious corn-on-the-cob is in abundance right now, so fire up your grill and try this one!

Best. burger. ever

We had some friends over last night to watch the Jets vs Steelers, and it was a unanimous decision that these spicy poblano burgers from Cooking Light (!) were PHENOMENAL. Like, top-5-best recipes-ever material. The toppings are fantastic - I spread the chipotle sour cream on thick and added a big helping of the pickled red onions, too. Seriously, make these immediately- you won't be disappointed.

Roast beef sandwich

We made these roast beef sandwiches from Rachael Ray this weekend. They are very simple to make - the only thing you have to cook is the sandwich! The horseradish sauce is tangy, and the red pepper adds a lot of heat. We used deli roast beef and skipped the watercress (because we didn't have any), and the sandwiches were delicious!

Spicy orange beef

Dinner last night was spicy orange beef from Cooking Light. This recipe is so simple (other than the first batch of rice we ruined, but enough about that). It is spicy and delicious!

(We were out of sesame oil so I used olive oil. And minced fresh garlic (2 cloves) instead of bottled. Other than, we followed the recipe.)

Mexican meatloaf and poblano potato salad

I have been on an un-intended hiatus from the food blog lately. The last 4 or 5 recipes I've tried were deemed mediocre, therefore not blog-worthy. Combine that with a busy last few weeks of summer, and it feels like an eternity since I've talked food! But, as Robert said tonight after we licked our dinner plates... I'm back! I found my swagger again in the kitchen tonight, thanks to Marcela from Mexican Made Easy and her Mexican meatloaf and poblano potato salad. These recipes are spicy and delicious! I'm not sure I'd call these easy recipes, due to the amount of ingredients and the steps required- and the number of dirty pots and pans we had to clean. But who said great food was going to be easy?? Lots of excellent, smoky flavors in these with poblano peppers, serrano chiles, and even a bit of chipotle. Looking forward to having leftovers this weekend!

Chipotle and garbanzo bean soup (crock pot)

I have bookmarked hundreds of recipes to try from magazines, tv shows, and cookbooks. None of them are conducive to planning ahead, so I find myself rushing to cook dinner between the girls bath and bedtime routines, which can get pretty hectic. A great solution for that is slow cooker meals, so you will probably see more of those on the blog in the coming weeks. First up is this chipotle and garbanzo bean soup from a cookbook my mom got me on her recent trip to New Mexico. I was able to prepare it during morning naps, and it was ready to serve when Robert got home from work. This soup is spicy, hearty, and delicious!! We will definitely make this one again.

Chipotle and garbanzo bean soup
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles)
• 6 green chilies, chopped (I used fresh jalapenos, sliced. 2-3 depending on your spice tolerance)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion

• 1 cup cubed monterey jack cheese

• 2 limes
• cilantro

Combine first 8 ingredients (through garlic powder) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the soup, shred, and return to the slow cooker. Add the green onions. Continue cooking on low until ready to serve.

Divide the cheese equally into soup bowls. Ladle the soup into bowls over the cheese, add juice from half a lime into each bowl, and garnish with cilantro.

Spicy poblano burgers (Guest Post)

Dinner last night was spicy poblano burgers from Cooking Light magazine.

Lindsay made these (with some Sous Chef help from me), but I wanted to do the post because these suckers were GOOD. The burgers were juicy and flavorful (with a little heat but not too much), and the pickled red onion was a nice topping. But the showstopper was the chipotle cream spread. It was just enough to cool down the heat of the poblano and was bursting with flavor. It was Yum. Seriously. Make it.

Roasted corn tostadas

Man, I loved this recipe from Rachael Ray for roasted corn tostadas. I've always had a weakness for tostadas (remember when Taco Bell took it off their menu for a few years?), and this one is a fantastic, grown-up version with corn roasted on the grill and a spicy chipotle cream sauce. I made a quick pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, red onion and cilantro) instead of doing them as individual toppings.

Jalapeno, avocado and bacon burger

If you read the title of this post, enough said. But I'll elaborate - this jalapeno, avocado and bacon burger recipe combined several of our favorite things to make one delicious burger! Again, a recipe that calls for queso fresco, which is impossible to find around here. I substituted gruyere cheese, which is a completely different consistency, but a taste we love. Consequently, my cheese sauce was thicker than I expected (more of a flavored mayo), but still tasted great.

Chipotle chicken cheesesteaks

Dinner tonight was chipotle chicken cheesesteaks from Cooking Light. This recipe was super-simple and a great twist on a classic cheesesteak. Yum!

Crab cakes with spicy remoulade

We made homemade crab cakes with spicy remoulade sauce for dinner this week. These tasted great and were pretty simple to make... but to be honest, Fresh Market has a good pre-made version (at the meat counter with the rest of their fresh seafood), which costs less (my 8 oz container of lump crab meat cost $16 and made four cakes, plus the other ingredients) and come ready to cook. Whether you make your own crab cakes or buy them already prepared, the spicy remoulade sauce is a must!

Pork and pinto bean nachos

Dinner last night was pork tenderloin and pinto bean nachos from Cooking Light magazine. These are more work than your average nachos, but they taste better too so they are worth the effort! The beans are spicy, thanks to the chipotle peppers, the pork is juicy and tender, and the avocado topping is fantastic (Robert suggested making double the topping next time so we could really pile it on!).

Water recommended

Now that the sun is shining and the temperatures are warm again, I've dusted off my favorite ice cream cookbook, The Perfect Scoop, to try new frozen treats.  My first one of the season is Aztec "hot" chocolate ice cream, which is a chocolate recipe with the added kick of chile powder.  And let me tell you, it's a kick in the pants for sure!  This picture may look innocent - but you take a bite, and at first it tastes cool and refreshing, then once you've swallowed you feel a burn in your throat.  An interesting experience with ice cream, but it was still a big hit with everyone!  Recipe calls for 2-3 teaspoons of chile powder, and I used just a bit over 2.  The author recommends using chipotle chile powder (which is what I used, extreme heat) or ancho chile powder (smoky and not as hot).  We like adding a little whipped cream to help put out the fire!

Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 to 3 teaspoons chile powder (see Note from Lebovitz below)
2 tablespoons brandy

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, then whisk until it is completely melted. Stir in the milk, vanilla salt, cinnamon, chile powder, and brandy. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Note from Lebovitz: I like the taste of smoky ancho or chipotle chile powder, available in Mexican markets. They can vary in intensity, so if you're unsure of the strength of your chile powder, add the smaller amount and let it sit for awhile, then see if you like it before adding more. The subtle warmth can heat up as it stands.

Chicken fried rice

We tried a new chicken fried rice recipe this week, courtesy of Ellie Krieger (Food Network) in the latest issue of Cooking Light. This is an excellent recipe, and I made a few tweaks - 1) I halved the recipe, which yielded 2.5-3 servings; 2) Even though I halved the rest, I used the full amount of the soy sauce mixture... because we like things saucy around here; and 3) we added an egg, because what's fried rice without the egg?? The recipe is below with my edits - this will definitely be a repeat in this house!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 5

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. less-sodium soy suace
  1 T. dark brown sugar
  1 t. dark sesame oil
  3/4 t. crushed red pepper
  2 T. canola oil
  2 c. diced red bell pepper (about 2)
  1 c. diced onion
  1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
  2 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
  2 large garlic cloves, minced
  5 c. cold cooked brown rice
• 1 egg, cooked and chopped
  2 c. diced cooked chicken (about 1 lb)
  1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  1/3 c. unsalted, dry-roasted peanut, chopped

Preparation

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stir well with a whisk.

2. Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, diced onion, and 2 T. green onions to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add rice, chicken, and water chestnuts; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring gently. Add chopped egg, then soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons green onions and peanuts.

Chorizo bacon chili

Dinner tonight was chorizo bacon chili from the Rachael Ray show. This recipe came from a guest during a Super Bowl cook-off. It is meaty and delicious! When we tasted for seasoning, we thought it needed some heat, so I added ground chipotle pepper (dried), about a teaspoon. (I halved the recipe, since I am only cooking for two). We topped our chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. Perfect on this cold night. Now we're hoping for a snow day tomorrow so we can enjoy the leftovers!

Sweet potato and chipotle soup

We made sweet potato and chipotle soup for dinner one night last week, a recipe from Everyday Food magazine. This is a spicy and delicious soup! We added bacon as a garnish, along with the sour cream - because let's be honest, bacon goes with (almost) everything! This soup is velvety and smooth without using cream - a calorie-saving miracle! The recipe is from the December issue, and apparently they don't have them posted on the website yet. So here it is:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium sweet potatoes (2 lbs total), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 to 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
sour cream, for garnish
bacon, optional :)

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin & garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a rapid simmer, then partially cover and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat and season with salt & pepper. Top with sour cream and bacon.

10.26.09 Pork and black-eyed pea chili

Dinner tonight was pork and black-eyed pea chili from Everyday with Rachael Ray. Robert went on and on about how much he loved this recipe - it's hearty, spicy, and delicious! It's a quick chili (30 minutes or so), and it's a great change of pace from a standard beef chili. Yum!