food
HEAT WAVE RECIPES
pick your heat
Whether serving family or feeding a
table of daredevil eaters, these dishes
make it easy to adjust the temperature
to taste. Play with these ingredients to
vary the level of fire and spice.
FRESH CHILES
Icons of spiciness, chile
peppers— from jalapenos to fiery
habaneros— generate a hot burning
sensation that can build on the palate as
they’re eaten. The heat varies from
pepper to pepper. A general rule: The
smaller the chile, the hotter.
Playing With Fire
Hot chile peppers
and ground chiles (such as cayenne)
contain oils that can cause minor skin
irritations and burn the eyes if they
come in contact. When working with
fresh chile peppers, wear plastic gloves
(or cover your hands with plastic bags),
especially if you handle seeds and white
veins. If using bare hands, wash well
immediately after with soap and water.
CHILI POWDER
Made from a mix of
dried spices that can vary, chili powders
are rich in smoky flavor and lightly spicy.
Hot-style varieties usually have ground
dried chiles in the blend, which give it an
extra kick.
FRESH GINGERROOT
A little has a
subtle tinge, but when a lot of this
aromatic seasoning is added to a dish, it
provides surprisingly sharp heat. Its
cool citrusy flavor balances the heat,
preventing it from overpowering.
GROUND CHILES
Because drying and
grinding chile peppers concentrates the
heat, just a bit can add a big wallop.
Available in large supermarkets and
Mexican markets, these range from hot
to very hot, depending on the chile. Look
for them labeled by the chile’s name.
BLACK PEPPER
When added with a
heavy hand, this familiar seasoning has a
pungent bite. Pepper has more zing
when freshly cracked. See the tip on
page
77§for how to crack peppercorns.
WASABI
Think sushi. This pungent
condiment produces a head-clearing
tingle rather than a burn. Add a little for
a light bite— a lot for a blast of heat. It’s
available as paste, powder, and, less
commonly, fresh.
chilly chile pepper gazpacho
prep: 30 min. CHILL: 4 HR. OVEN: 425°F
HOT
4
medium jalapeno chile peppers
HOTTER
4
medium serrano chile peppers
HOTTEST
2
medium habanero chile peppers
6
large tomatoes, cored, halved,
and seeded
i
medium onion, cut in wedges
4
cloves garlic, peeled
i
medium cucumber, peeled, seeded,
and cut up
1
medium yellow sweet pepper,
seeded and cut up
4
medium jalapeno or serrano chile
peppers, or 2 medium habanero chile
peppers, seeded and cut up
2
11.5-oz. cans hot-style vegetable juice
2
Tbsp. lemon juice
2
Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1
tsp. sugar
2
6-oz. cans crab meat, drained, flaked,
and cartilage removed
Chopped fresh chives (optional)
1.
Heat oven to 425°F. Place tomatoes (cut
sides up), onion, and garlic on a rimmed
baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes or until tomato
skins are charred. Peel off tomato skins.
2.
Place tomatoes in food processor. Cover;
process until smooth. Transfer to large
serving bowl. Place onion, garlic, cucumber,
sweet pepper, and chile peppers in food
processor. Cover; pulse with on/off turns
until chopped to desired consistency.
3.
Add processed vegetables, vegetable
juice, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar,
V2 teaspoon
salt,
and (/4 teaspoon
black
pepper
to tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cover;
chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
4.
Spoon gazpacho in bowls. Top with crab
meat. Sprinkle chives. SERVES
8
.
EACH 1-cup serving
122 cal, 4 gfat (0 g sat. fat),
S3 mg chol, 570 mg sodium, 12 g carbo, 2 g fiber,
10 gpro. Daily Values:35% vit. A, 120% vit. C,
7%
calcium, 5%
iron.
grilled veg eta b le to s ta d a s
w ith q u ic k m o le sauce
Mole (MOH-lay) is a flavorful Mexican
sauce traditionally made with dried chiles
and myriad seasonings, most notably dark
chocolate. The chocolate adds rich depth to
the sauce without being overly sweet.
PREP: 1 HR. COOK: 10 MIN. GRILL: 5 MIN.
1
recipe Quick Mole Sauce,
page 177
4
medium zucchini and/oryellow
summer squash, quartered lengthwise
1
medium eggplant, cut in V2-inch slices
1
large red onion, cut in 1/2-inch slices
2
Tbsp. olive oil
16
4 to 6-inch toasted corn tortillas*
1
8-oz. carton sour cream
1
cup crumbled queso fresco or
feta cheese
Avocado slices and/or fresh cilantro
1.
Prepare Quick Mole Sauce.
2.
Brush zucchini or squash, eggplant, and
onion with olive oil; season with
salt
and
black pepper.
3.
For charcoal grill, on rack of uncovered
grill, cook vegetables directly over medium
coals 5 to 8 minutes or until tender, turning
once halfway through grilling. (For gas grill,
preheat. Reduce heat to medium. Place
vegetables on rack over heat. Cover and grill
as above.) Cut vegetables in pieces.
4.
Serve the grilled vegetables with Quick
Mole Sauce, toasted tortillas, sour cream,
cheese, avocado, and cilantro. SERVES
8
.
* TOASTED CORN TORTILLAS (Find 4-inch
tortillas in stores that stock Mexican foods.)
Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 Tbsp.
olive
oil.
Place on baking sheet. Heat in 425°F oven
8
minutes or until golden. Or, after brushing
with oil, grill directly over medium coals 30
seconds each side or until warmed.
EACH SERVING
464 cal, 28 gfat
(8
g sat. fat),
25 mg chol, 514 mg sodium, 48 g carbo,
9 g fiber, 11 gpro. Daily Values: 26% vit. A,
66
%
vit. C, 17%
calcium, 12%
iron.
1 7 4
JULY2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
