They say that spicy food cools you off in the summer. Strange, but true; hot spicy food make you sweat, then your body temperature actually dips. But then you’re sweating, not my favorite cup of tea. In hot weather, I generally gravitate towards cool and refreshing foods like yesterday’s grape cooler cocktail, or ice cream, or watermelon.

If you lean more toward spicy food to bring your body temps down, give this grilled dish a try. And even with the addition of all that spice, just the sight and idea of sweet juicy peaches sounds nice and cool!

Grilled Pork Chops and Peaches with Peach-Adobo Sauce

5 large peaches, pitted and cubed, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
4 thick pork chops
3 large peaches, pitted and cubed
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Place about 1 cup of the cubed peaches in a food processor or blender, pulse at first and then turn to high and puree, you should end up with about 2/3 cup of peach puree.

Stir peach puree, vinegar, adobo sauce, olive oil, and chopped cilantro in medium bowl.

Spray grill rack and a grilling basket with Pam. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Season pork chops and remaining cubed peaches with salt and pepper. Brush both with peach sauce, set aside extra sauce and cover the chops and peaches and allow to sit at room temperature for 2o minutes while grill heats up.

Grill chops until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Place peaches in grill basket and grill until slightly charred, about 4 minutes, stirring or tossing to char evenly.

Place 1 chop on each of 4 dinner plates. Surround with grilled peaches. Drizzle remaining sauce over pork chops and peaches. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Serves 4

I’ve made these sliders so many times in the past couple of weeks, that I’m afraid they’ve worn out their welcome. When I first made them, all family members were clamoring for more. So I made them again and everyone raved. After FINALLY freeing the house of all things “Christmas” yesterday, I served them again, and this time… the response was barely lukewarm. Oh well, onward and upward.

Give them at try, at least once, I’m sure your family will be delighted. BTW, the reason for the odd amount  (1 1/4 pounds) of ground turkey – that is what our grocery stores sell as a package size, but if you find a 1 pound package, that is fine too. And the buns that I find most readily available are of the King’s Hawaiian Bread variety. I kinda like the sweetness of the bread against the spiciness of the chipotle. Perfect yin-yang.

Chipotle Turkey Sliders with Chipotle Mayo

Chipotle Mayo
1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 extra teaspoons adobo sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sliders
1. 25 pounds ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotle peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 mini burger buns or small soft dinner rolls, warmed in oven
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
Lettuce and tomato, as toppings

Mayo: Place mayonnaise, chipotle, and adobo sauce in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. (There is no need to wash out the processor bowl before the next step.)

Sliders: Place ground turkey with cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and chipotle peppers in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well combined. Divide the turkey into 8 equal portions and, using your hands, shape into 8 small burgers. Season burgers with salt freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. When hot, place the burgers in the pan and cook until turkey is done and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place the sliders on mini burger buns that have been spread with chipotle mayonnaise. Top with avocado slices, lettuce, tomato, and any other desired toppings.

Makes 8

If your house is anything at all like mine, then you’re always waiting for that last person to get home before dinner can be served, or finish being made. All of the components for these tacos need to finished at the last minute. Although not as hard or as much of a pain as it sounds!

You can prep everything for the salsa well ahead, just don’t dice or mix in the avocado until the last possible moment. The slaw and its dressing can also be made well ahead, don’t mix together until just before serving though, or it’ll get soggy.  And the spice mix for the tuna should be ready to go, but since the tuna only takes a couple minutes to sear, again wait until the very last moment.  As proof of how far ahead it can done, I had plenty of time to prep out everything, take and Photoshop the picture of the prepped stuff, and write this entire blog post and recipe, while waiting for that elusive family member to arrive… maybe I’ll call now and begin my nagging … “What time DO you think you might be home? We are hungry!”

Southwestern Ahi Tuna Tacos

Salsa
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1/3 cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Haas avocado, diced

Slaw
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced and chopped yellow bell pepper

Tuna and Tacos
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Ahi tuna (sashimi grade)
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 taco shells, corn tortillas, or flour tortillas
2 limes, halved

Salsa: Combine all ingredients, except avocado, in a medium bowl. Dice and stir in avocado, just before serving.

Slaw: Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, chilies, and adobo sauce  in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.

Just before serving toss together the cabbage, cilantro, bell peppers and all but 1/4 cup of the dressing.

Tuna and Tacos: In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder salt, and pepper. Rub spice mixture generously on both sides of the tuna.

Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. When pan is smoking hot, add olive oil and roll pan to coat. Sear tuna for 1 minute per side, or until fish is cooked on the outside, but rare on the inside. Transfer to a cutting board. Dice tuna into 1/4-inch cubes.

Divided slaw between taco shells/tortillas, spoon in salsa and then top with tuna. Squeeze each with lime juice and a drizzle of the remaining dressing.

Makes 8

I just realized that this is the third rellenos (or stuffed poblano pepper) recipe on the site, and the 2nd in the past two weeks… but honestly, rellenos rule!  Here is what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:

Here is what I have to say: “Fill a poblano with anything you like, skip the batter and frying! There is no way you can go wrong.”

Announcement: Today begins a countdown. To what, you ask? You shall find out soon enough…

Chorizo-Yukon Chile Rellenos atop Chipotle-Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; divided
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 long green chiles (Anahiem or Hatch) cored, seeded and diced
1 pound ground chorizo, cooked and drained
6 poblano peppers; roasted and peeled
1 pound Ranchero cheese, shredded
Minced fresh cilantro for garnish

Cut half (1  1/2 pounds) of the unpeeled potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a large skillet. Barely cover the potatoes with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, half of the minced garlic, and the chili powder and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 12 minutes, until just slightly tender. Drain over a medium saucepan to catch the boiling liquid and set aside the potatoes to dry for at least 20 minutes. (Set aside skillet too, it will be used a few more times.)

Peel the remaining 1  1/2 pounds potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place in the saucepan with the potato liquid. Add more water to cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender enough to mash, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to saucepan, mash with 2 tablespoons of the butter, minced chipotle with adobo, and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, bell pepper, long green chiles, and the remaining minced garlic just until the onion is translucent. Transfer mixture to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the dry potato cubes to the butter and cook over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Add the cooked chorizo and the onion-pepper mixture to the skillet and heat through.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Carefully slit up one side of each poblano pepper and carefully remove the seeds. Place a thin layer of shredded cheese in each poblano. Fill the peppers with the potato-chorizo mixture and place in a greased baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the mashed potatoes.

Place a large spoonful of mashed potatoes on each of 6 dinner plates. Top each with a chile relleno and garnish with minced cilantro.

Serves 6

Connor and I spent the entire day yesterday unpacking and finding places for all his dorm stuff.  And since I’d left all his bedroom belongings in Marissa’s room after the new carpet was installed last month, we had the added fun of putting his room back together.  Marissa’s room has wood floors and because she is still at school, it has served as the perfect “storage” space all this time. Needless to say, Connor (and I) deserved a nice relaxing meal last night. Welcome home sweet boy!

Unfortunately, I took the picture before the sauce was poured on, so you’ll have to just imagine it there…

Arizona Lamb Chops

3 tablespoons chipotle chili powder, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 minced  cloves garlic or 2 frozen garlic cubes
10 1-inch-thick lamb loin chops
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Combine 2 tablespoons of the chili powder, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cilantro, oregano, cumin and garlic in a glass baking dish, add lamb chops and rub on mixture to coat.  Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours or up to overnight.

Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add red wine, beef stock, and remaining tablespoon chili powder. Boil until sauce is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted after each addition.

Prepare barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill lamb chops to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Place 2 lamb chops on each of 5 plates. Spoon sauce over lamb and serve.

Serves 5

One of my favorite songs by The Killers is All These Things That I’ve Done. The chorus, “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier” is my favorite part and was used in a Nike advertisement during the last summer Olympics (Click here to watch). Hence the title:  I’ve got sole…  My niece, Raina, had a post on her facebook page, right before Easter, that totally cracked me up…  ”I’ve got ham, but I’m not a hamster.”  I really did laugh out loud at that one!

I was the lucky and happy recipient of an “over-purchase” of fresh fillet of sole and banana leaves after Wednesday night’s cooking class at Les Gourmettes. That meant that Thursday’s dinner was on the table in less than 10 minutes! Fresh banana leaves are available at Asian markets, and are very inexpensive, give them a try!  The leaves tear easily, so it is important to quickly pass them over an open flame to make them more pliable and easier to handle. The exposure to heat brightens them and releases the leaf’s natural oils and fragrance. When steamed, the leaves tend to loose their vibrant green color and turn a darker shade of olive green. Click here to make the chipotle mayonnaise, if you don’t already have some on hand.

Banana Leaf Steamed Fillet of Sole with Chipotle Mayo

Fresh banana leaves
Sole fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chipotle mayonnaise
Freshly cooked Jasmine rice, optional

Place water in a steamer pot and bring to a boil, cover pot and reduce to a simmer while the fish is prepared.

Turn a gas burner on high heat. Hold each banana leaf, one at a time, with tongs and quickly pass leaf over the open flame. The leaf will turn a brighter green and become soft and pliable.  Cut each leaf to a size just a little longer than the size of each piece of fish.

Place a fillet in the center of a leaf and season with salt and pepper. Spread the top of the fillet with chipotle mayonnaise.

Fold the fillet in half and spread the top with more mayonnaise. Wrap fish as pictured below, then repeat with remaining leaves, fish, and mayonnaise.

Place all fish packets, seam side down in steamer; increase heat to high, cover and steam for 5 to 6 minutes, or until fish is tender and flakey.

Use a spatula to transfer packets to dinner plates, allowing guests to unwrap their fish and enjoy the fragrant steam as it escapes.  Serve with with hot Jasmine rice, if desired.

On Sunday, my friend and neighbor, Ronnie had a party to introduce and welcome new neighbors to “the hood”.  She made this colorful fresh and flavorful salad that we all went crazy for. It is inspired by a recipe she found in a cookbook by Rick Rodgers. I had two servings, and would have had a third if I could have gotten away with it! The original recipe called for 3 ears of corn to be roasted on a grill. This simple take on that uses frozen roasted corn kernels found at Trader Joe’s.  One medium cob of corn yields about 3/4 cup of kernels. So that is convenience item number one.  And here is number two … a new way to freeze and store chipotle peppers. As you know, chipotle peppers are sold in cans and they are packed in adobo sauce. The sauce is just about as good as the peppers themselves, spicy and smokey and just so addictive. I can’t think of a time when you would use an entire  7-ounce can of the peppers, generally recipes call for just a few peppers and then you have the rest of the can to deal with.  In the past I have  placed the remaining peppers on a small greased baking sheet, frozen them, then removed the frozen peppers and placed them in ziplock bags to freeze. But now… I have an even better way. In the majority of recipes the peppers are very finely chopped, so why not freeze them that way? First place all the remaining peppers and all the adobo sauce left in the can in a food processor and puree it. Next, carefully spoon the puree into the little holes of an empty garlic cube package. What is a garlic cube package, you ask. In a prior post, I told you how much I love to use the minced garlic cubes sold at Trader Joe’s. My freezer is full of them… so I reuse those empty containers and now I always have chipotle cubes on hand too.  One chipotle cube equals about 1/2 chipotle pepper.  Plus they pop out just as easily as the garlic does.

Here is what I did today… I used the five remaining chipotle cubes I had in my freezer (approximately 2  1/2 chipotle peppers), opened a new can and used 3 whole peppers for the vinaigrette recipe below. Then I pureed the remaining contents of the can and packed it into the empty cube tray.

As you can see, there was still a little bit of pureed chipotle in the food processor, so I added 1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise to that and blended  - an added bonus; not only do I have a whole tray of chipotle cubes but also a little chipotle mayo for sandwiches too!  So there you go, a new convenience  item you can make yourself. Oh, and a big “thank you!” to Ronnie and Mike for a lovely Sunday afternoon and big welcome Flint family to our great community!

Bean and Roasted Corn Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 to 6 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2  1/4 cups frozen roasted corn kernels, thawed
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup (4 ounces) queso fresco

Vinaigrette: Place the lime zest, lime juice, and chipotle peppers in the bowl of a food processor. Puree. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream through the feed tube. Turn off machine, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Salad: In a large bowl, combine corn, both types of beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro.  Toss with the Vinaigrette and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Toss in the queso fresco just before serving.

Serves 8

So, before we get to today’s recipe – how about that picture above? Those are just 3 of about a dozen cool cocktail napkins I have which have fun riddles for parties to work out. When using them, it is best to have guests try and solve them before too many beverages are consumed –  just a helpful little FYI.  Study them and leave me a comment if you figure out all three! (And just in case the top one isn’t completely visible – it reads, “52 C in a D +2 J’s”). Plus if you are a fan of the Les Petites Gourmettes Fan page on facebook, you already know something special, so put on your thinking caps and comment as soon as possible!

Last night I had two of my very best friends, Peggy and Anne, over for a little happy hour to celebrate Peggy’s upcoming birthday, which is actually on February 26th. Happy Birthday, Peggy-Sue! Now that all of our kids are teenagers (and beyond, in Marissa’s case!) – we just don’t get together as often as we used to or anywhere near as often as we would like. So when we do – men and children, be forewarned -watch out! As the aforementioned kids know, all too well, we love to be together! I made these spicy little empanadas, crab cakes (that recipe to be posted tomorrow), and grapefruit-cranberry martinis … love you girls! (and even with all the love I have for you both – you may not comment on the riddles – although I would still love to get a comment of any other sort!) xoxo

Mini Chorizo-Chipotle Chicken Empanadas

Dough
2  1/4 cups flour
1  1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder (optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup Spanish chorizo
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced oregano
1 cup finely minced cooked chicken
1 finely minced chipotle pepper with adobo sauce
Egg wash made with 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Dough: Place flour, salt, and chile powder into the bowl of a food processor and blend with a few pulses. Add in small butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (pea-size) butter lumps. (as pictured below)

Add the egg and vinegar and pulse of couple times. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the mixture almost begins to come together, but do not allow it to form a ball. Test to see that dough will hold together by grabbing a handful and squeeze. You can see the piece I tested on the right below.

Empty out dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the wrap to bring dough together and form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, enclosed in the plastic wrap, at least 1 hour. (Although you will be rolling out little circles, by forming the dough into a rectangle, it is easier to divide into 24 equally pieces than it would be if you formed it into the usual flat disk)

While dough is chilling, make filling: Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 12 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, salt, and oregano; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are very soft, about 8 minutes. Add chorizo and stir to break up, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, blend together minced chicken and chipotle. Add to skillet and stir to blend. Cool filling to room temperature.

Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a pastry scraper or knife to divide dough into 24 equal pieces. Working with 4 pieces at a time, form each into a small flat disk, rounding out the corners by squeezing them in. Keep the remaining pieces covered in the plastic wrap to prevent drying. Roll out the 4 disks on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into 3 1/2-inch rounds.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling onto center of each round and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp with the tines of a fork. Transfer empanadas to a baking sheet. Make 20 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 baking sheets.

Lightly brush empanadas with egg wash. (may be made ahead at this point and either refrigerated for up to one day or frozen on baking sheets, then transferred to freezer zip-lock bags for up to 1 month.)

Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24

Lately, I’ve had a seriously strong craving for spicy food. I finished off the chipotle mayo that was used for the Jamaican sliders from the neighborhood Progressive, eating just a little each day for lunch, and now that it is gone… I want more! So I Googled (Oh, how I love Google) “What does it mean when you crave spicy food?” and found this;

“…people crave it in part because it releases endorphins in the body. When capsaicin, the element of chili peppers that cause the “spicy” sensation, comes into contact with the tongue, the body is tricked into believing that it is in pain and releases the pain-relieving endorphins. This explains why, like anything that releases endorphins, spicy food can become somewhat addictive. People may crave it and build tolerance levels.”

and then there was this;

“When people have trouble cooling down they may crave spicy foods to make them perspire. Some research also suggest that people can become addicted to the rush of spicy food that is associated with spiked blood pressure, accelerated heart rate and rapid breathing says Tammy Shames, R.D.  People that crave spicy food are perfectionists. They love order, hate wasting time, and pay attention to all the details.”

OK, now every little bit of that makes sense to me; I naturally have low blood pressure, I do like order and details, etc.  And just like Kathleen Turner’s character, Matty Walker, in the 1981 movie Body Heat, “My temperature runs a couple of degrees high.” Plus if I can get my endorphins from food instead of from the so called “runner’s high” and actually having to run… Bring It On!

If you want to tone down the spiciness, just leave out the chipotle pepper.

Poblano and Chipotle-Blue Cheese Salad

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips, divided
1 chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 heart of romaine, separated into leaves

Heat a skillet over medium heat; add olive oil.  Add the onions and bell peppers, sauté until the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook another minute, then set aside.

Place 1/2 of the poblano slices in a blender or food processor; add the chipotle, oregano, lime juice , 1/2 of the onion-red pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the blue cheese and puree.  With the machine running, add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in remaining blue cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dip each romaine leaf in dressing to coat, shaking off excess, and arrange on two large salad plates.  Sprinkle with the remaining onion-red pepper mixture and the remaining roasted poblano pepper strips. Drizzle with additional dressing and serve.

Serves 2

Jamaican buffet, it was a little picked over before I was able to snap the picture, but that's a good thing, right?

Sliders are irresistible as part of an appetizer buffet. Small and easy to eat while standing, they are the perfect casual party food. If you want to prepare the sliders ahead, place patties on the grill or grill pan and just “mark” each side. Transfer to a baking sheet, allow to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Toast the buns ahead of time, place on another baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and leave out at room temperature. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees, finish cooking the patties for 12 minutes. While the patties are in the oven, prepare the buns by spreading on mayonnaise and stacking on the onion, tomato, and lettuce. When the sliders are completely cooked, just assemble, put in decorative picks, cut in half, place on a platter and you’re ready to entertain!

In the picture above, you might notice the carrot-pepper “palm trees” – cute, aren’t they? Easy to make too, just peel the carrots, then place in ice water to crisp them up.  Cut the peppers as pictured below, then use toothpicks to hold the palms together in a cabbage half.

Jamaican Jerk Sliders

Chipotle Mayonnaise
1 cup mayonnaise
2 whole canned chipotle chilies

Jerk Sauce
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 medium jalapeño chilies, seeded
2 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 pounds ground beef
16 sesame-seed slider buns or Kings Hawaiian sweet bread rolls, toasted
1/2 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Lettuce leaves

Chipotle Mayonnaise: Place mayonnaise and chipotle in a food processor and blend until smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Jerk Sauce: Place green onion, thyme, jalapeño, and garlic in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Add brown sugar, oil, soy sauce and allspice and process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Set aside 3/4 cup jerk sauce. Shape ground beef into 16 small patties; place in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of the jerk sauce over patties and turn to coat; let stand 20 minutes at room temperature.

Prepare barbecue or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Grill to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with jerk sauce left in glass baking dish, about 4 minutes per side for medium.

notice that the sliders are not cooked all the way through - they are finished in a hot oven for easy "do-ahead"

Spread mayonnaise over toasted sides of buns. Place burgers on bottom halves of buns. Top with onion, tomato, lettuce, and bun tops. Cut in half, placing a decorative pick in each half to hold together. Serve, passing reserved 3/4 cup jerk sauce separately.

Makes 16

“Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili.” Harry James (1916-1983) band leader and trumpeter.

OK, I wouldn’t go quite that far; to say that nothing lifts the spirits more, but just like most people, I do enjoy a spicy and steaming bowl of chili. There are more chili recipes, and really great chili at that, than one can count. Chili is a truly American dish with so many great variations; with and without beans, mild to very hot and spicy, vegetarian or made with any type of meat imaginable. Hope you enjoy this chunky beef version… until you have time to try it out, one more quote from a famous chili-loving American.

“Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili.” Alleged dying words of Kit Carson (1809-1868), Frontiersman and Mountain Man.

Four Chile and Pepper Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juices
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
2 Anaheim or Hatch long green chilies, peeled, seeded and diced
1 canned chipotle chile with adobo sauce, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juices

Garnishes
Grated queso fresco or Monterey Pepper Jack cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; add olive oil. Add the onions and bell peppers, sauté until the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook another minute. Remove the vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.

photo by Marissa Lynn Hopkins

Pat the beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper. Add beef, in small batches, to the pot and brown on all sides. As the batches brown, remove beef and add to the bowl with the onions and peppers. Once the last batch is browned, add all the browned meat and vegetables, from the bowl, back to the pot.

leave plenty of space between the meat cubes when browning.

Stir in tomatoes and all the remaining ingredients, except for the garnishes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a very low simmer, cover, and cook for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the beans and cook another 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Garnish with the queso fresco, cilantro, and lime.

Serves 6

Me at 2 years old

I finally took on a task that I’ve been putting off for months… OK, not months, years!  Scanning pictures that are “pre-digital” onto my computer. See, this is what happens when your kids leave you for college – you do things! I found this picture in the stack and just couldn’t resist posting it. I am two years old here, according to my mom’s writing on the back. With an apron on! Wow, who knew? Today’s tip has to do with fresh ginger root. It is something I don’t always have on hand but not something I’m willing to go to the store for if it’s the only thing I need. So I always buy a bit bigger piece than I’ll need, I peel the extra and slice it into “coins” about 1/2-inch thick. I have a jar in my fridge the I keep the ginger coins in that is filled with Sherry. That way whenever you need fresh ginger and don’t have it in the produce drawer, just pull out a coin or two, mince it up and you’re ready to go!  When working with pork tenderloin, you must alway trim away the silver skin. Silver skin is a layer of white connective tissue or membrane that you find on pork tenderloin and a variety of other tender meats.  It is tough as rubber and needs to be removed before cooking.  It is not difficult to do; cut it off in then strips, angling a sharp paring knife against the membrane, not the meat, then slide your knife along the silver skin, pulling back tightly on it and continue to do so until the loin is clean. See picture below.

Pomegranate-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup peeled and minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger root
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely minced
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) and rosemary sprigs for garnish, if desired

tenderloin in back has been trimmed, front piece - in process

Trim silver skin from tenderloins, season well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat, when hot, add oil and sear pork on all sides until evenly browned. Remove pork to a plate and set aside.

shallots, rosemary, and gingerroot added to pan

Add shallots, rosemary, ginger root, and chicken stock to hot skillet, use a spatula to stir and deglaze by loosening up the browned bits in the pan.

after chicken broth is added- pan is deglazed "scraped clean"

Once the pan is “clean” and the shallots are soften, add the wine and pomegranate juice, turn heat to high. Boil for 2 minutes, reducing the liquid. Add the pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar, the honey mustard, and chipotle.

about to cover pan and turn off heat

While still boiling, return pork and any juices accumulated on the plate to skillet. Cover skillet and turn of the heat. Allow pork to cook slowing in turned off pan for 15 minutes. Uncover pan and turn over tenderloins, turn heat to high and as soon as liquid begins to boil, cover pan and turn off heat again, this time for 8 minutes. Remove lid and insert and instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, the temperature should be between 150-155 degrees, if not recover and test again in 3 or 4 minutes.

Garnish, "if desired"... I desired, just forgot before I snapped the picture

Remove meat to a cutting board, tent with foil. Return sauce to a simmer over medium heat and add cream, stir until heated through. Slice meat on a diagonal and serve with sauce drizzle on top and garnish, if desired.

Serves 6