Make It Yourself: Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce

A while back I conducted a little non-scientific survey among my friends, and asked "what is a food trend you would like to see disappear?" Some were really good answers, like kale chips- let's face it, kale is great and all, but munching on a dried up leaf is not my idea of a good snack. Someone else felt that the bacon craze was getting a little out of hand, and another wanted cupcakes to take a hike.

Dried chipotle peppers getting ready for a long slow simmer

The most surprising response was chipotle peppers. Of course, here at our house we love hot and spicy foods, so any kind of chili pepper is my friend. I can't imagine wanting a pepper to go away. Chipotle peppers are one of those foods that a lot of recipes ask for, but I never seem to have in the pantry. It's only natural that I'd want to make it myself.

After a few hours of cooking they are plump, soft and
spicy/smoky delicious

Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeno peppers. You can buy these at just about any larger grocery store or Hispanic foods market but if you are an experienced pitmaster you can easily smoke fresh jalapenos and dry them. I got mine at Penzey's and they are really inexpensive. 

Chioptle peppers are dried smoked jalapenos

The adobo sauce is easy- basically a spiced tomato sauce- you simmer the dried jalapenos in the sauce until they are softened and the sauce thickens and takes on that sweet smoky pepper flavor. These are easy to process in the small 4 ounce canning jars for shelf stable storage, or pop in the freezer if you don't want to process in a canner. This recipe is super simple and doesn't require a whole lot of attention if you use a slow cooker to reduce the sauce.

The rich, thick adobo sauce packs a TON of flavor

Let's heat things up in here!

Homemade Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

1 1/2 ounces dried chipotle peppers

4 cups tomato puree

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon onion powder or 1/2 cup minced onion

2 teaspoons garlic powder or 4-6 garlic cloves, minced 
1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

dash ground cloves

Combine everything in a slow cooker and cook on high until thick, leaving the lid ajar so the sauce can evaporate and thicken. This can take 30 minutes to two hours. 

Loads of flavor getting ready to happen

Prepare a pressure canner and 4 ounce canning jars, with lids.

The peppers plump up and soften during cooking

Ladle the peppers and sauce into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process the jars for 35 minutes at the correct weight for your altitude, for me it's 15 lbs. Cool completely before testing the seals.

These are so handy for all kinds of recipes and are better than the store bought chipotles in metal cans. If you open a jar and don't use the entire contents, just pop the lid back on and store in the freezer until you need it again. I had more than enough of the Adobo sauce so I canned the extra in 3 half pint jars for future experiments.

The finished jars

When I was making this recipe the aroma was incredible. The mixture of those warm spices, the cloves, allspice and cinnamon, are just heavenly together and the spicy hint of chipotle just takes it to a whole other level. I can't wait to open the first jar after they have mellowed for a couple months. The amount of chipotles compared to the amount of liquid looked a little off at first, but after cooking the peppers absorbed some of the liquid and plumped up. 

I removed as much of the stem from the peppers as I could. It wasn't easy to get them off but I did the best I could. You can leave them on if you like but you will want to remove them when you use the peppers later.

BIG thanks to my good friend Elaine, owner of FireFood, for her advice, discussion and expertise in working with hot peppers and canned foods. She spent considerable time talking with me about any issues that might affect safety, pH, pressure versus water bath, and so on.

NOTE: This recipe has not been tested by the NCHFP. If you are not comfortable canning untested recipes, please do not use this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lake House Big Bad Fried Chicken Salad

Do you ever feel like you just cannot get enough vegetables into your diet? I know I do, and many times I will turn to a big entree salad to add some fiber and wholesome goodies to my diet. Make no mistake, I don't always keep it uber-healthy, like tonight- we're making a big bad salad with some really naughty add-ins, but that's not always the case. Remember, this is a whole meal salad, so we need some substance.

I get my salad mix from a nearby aquaponics farm not from the supermarket. You just cannot compare this to grocery store salad mix- not at all. Beautiful leaf lettuces, malabar spinach, rainbow chard, kale, nasturtium leaves and fresh basil bring so much flavor to the bowl. I sometimes add a little Romaine lettuce for some juicy crunch, and Romaine is nutritionally superior to iceberg lettuce. 

Look at all the goodness- the beautiful rainbow chard, and
that big beautiful nasturtium leaf- so delicious!

I absolutely loved the Lake House Steakhouse Salad I made a while back, so I am going to borrow an ideas from that salad- the fried onion strings. They were the perfect blend of crispy and sweet and made a fun and delicious topping. So we're going to go there again. Click HERE for the recipe for the easy onion strings and salad recipe- you'll want to try it if you haven't yet.

I'm borrowing the onion ring idea but changing up a lot of everything else. Instead of steak I'm thinking some good old fried chicken- like a couple chicken breasts, crunchy stuff and all, cut off the bone and cut up, shredded cheese, the last of our fresh home-grown tomatoes, might scope out the remains of the garden and see if I have any baby zucchini to add, and instead of just hard boiled eggs, how about a few deviled eggs instead? This is going to be big, delicious and not 100% healthy, but that's ok. I'm also going to cheat just a little bit by using a store-bought salad dressing but adding my own touches and kicking up the spice a bit- more like something we always eat around here.

Little Lake House Big Bad Fried Chicken Salad

8-10 cups mixed salad greens

1 cup shredded cheese (I used ColbyJack)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or chopped larger tomatoes)

3 deli or leftover fried chicken breasts, removed from bone and cut up

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled

mayo, yellow mustard, salt and pepper

additional fresh salad veggies of choice, olives, etc

Salad dressing of choice* (spicy ranch or honey mustard are really good)

One recipe onion strings

Begin by cutting the hard boiled eggs in half. Flip the yolks into a small bowl, reserve the whites on a plate. Mash the yolks with a fork, add mayo, yellow mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and stuff mixture back into egg whites. Chill.

Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, shredded cheese, any other fresh veggies you are using, and the chicken. Toss together well. 

You can use leftover fried chicken breasts or breaded fried
chicken tenders- they work great too and no bones to mess with

 Drizzle the dressing of choice over the salad, toss well to coat all the pieces. Pile a large serving amount on each dinner plate. Add a couple deviled egg halves to each plate. Top salads with a big handful of the onion strings. Go crazy!!!

*Note- For the dressing I used about a cup of store-bought ranch dressing and dressed it up. Chopped fresh chives, chopped candied (or pickled if desired) jalapenos, a splash of the candied jalapeno juice (or milk)- just a splash- just to loosen it up a little but not to water it down. Lots of freshly cracked black pepper adds a final touch.

Now you might not be a big fan of salads as an entree. I happen to LOVE salad meals. The nutrition from all the fresh vegetables is so many times better than a burger, all the fiber, antioxidants from the colorful veggies. Salads can be good AND bad depending on what you add to them. In this case I've added some not-so-healthy additions like the fried chicken, cheese, deviled eggs, but hey, we don't always add all this stuff to salads so it's all about moderation....and FUN- we want food to be fun, and something you enjoy, not something you feel shameful about eating. That whole "guilt-free food" thing- infuriates me. Yes, there are a few naughty treats in this bowl but it's also filled with wonderful things- like that amazing superfood kale, fresh tomatoes that came from the garden (no chemicals), that aquaponic salad mix with spinach and chard (all organic), lean protein from the egg white- also organic eggs from the same farm (the yolk is a treat). Yes, I kinda threw it over the fence with the dressing, but I wanted something creamy for a change so....... once in a while won't kill me. Eating is about finding balance, so I'm going to balance this plate on my knee and enjoy!

Recipe Re-do: Jalapeno Ale Mustard

Spring has sprung it seems- and soon (as soon as I get my "outdoor kitchen" set up like I'm wanting) the grill will be busy with browned and sizzling brats and other delicious meaty treats. I am such a mustard lover, as you know, if you've been reading RTK for a while, I make a lot of mustard myself. Every one is an experiment in texture and flavor. Some are spicy and robust, others are smooth and not as chunky and kid-friendly. I have always loved German-style mustards and love the flexibility of making my own.

I've done some taste-testing with other foodie friends who I consider to be pretty much expert level at judging and we all agree, some of them were a little TOO grainy and lost some smoothness in the canning/aging process. I need to add some additional liquid during some part of the process and have been mulling options over in my mind. I've made some adjustments to my basic recipe formula and we're trying again with a whole new brew.

Whenever I am out and about and see a store that sells beer singles, I always check out the selections. If something grabs my attention, I grab one, and hoard it away for future mustard or sauce making. Today I am working with Bent River Brewing Company's Jalapeno Pepper Ale. According to their website, fire roasted jalapenos are added to the mix, and upon trying it- it has a NICE pepper bite! It's hot! Not hot-sauce-hot but for a brew- definitely hot. It smells like fresh peppers and has a beautiful amber color. I wouldn't want to drink a six pack of it, but it's a fun beer to try just cuz you can.

The basic mustard mixture includes:

1 1/2 cup mustard seed  (I used 1 cup yellow and 1/2 cup brown)

1 12 ounce beer

1 cup apple cider or white vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate at least overnight. I always soak 2-3 days. 

The mustard seed will plump up and absorb most of the liquid. Transfer mixture to food processor, process to desired "graininess". Jar up and store in fridge. However, if you want to process for canning (more on that later) you will need to make some adjustments, as the heating and aging on the shelf makes the mustard a little too thick.

Because I have had some issues with mustard being too thick after processing in the water bath, this time I am going to add additional beer. After 24 hours of soaking I can already see the difference that additional amount of beer has made. Longer processing in the processor and the extra beer are going to solve my problem with too thick of a consistency. There is plenty of extra liquid still with the seeds and I can always add another splash or so if I need to. I ended up using an additional 1/2 a beer (about 6 oz) and 2 TB additional vinegar.

Now, another thing I want to mention- add-ins. Add ins are a great way to add some extra color or flavor to your mustard. In this case I am going to add:

freshly ground black pepper

2-3 cloves fresh garlic, very finely minced

additional jalapeno pepper- a few slices of pickled jalapeno finely diced will work perfect
extra beer for moisture

Another thing I am going to do this time is process the mustard a little longer so it's less chunky and more "spready." Once that's done all you need to do is pack the mustard in sterilized jars (i use the 4 oz jelly jars for mustard), fix lids and rings and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. If you don't want to process in a canner you can store in fridge or even freezer but they won't be shelf stable.

Now, let's go get that grill started!

Another MacGuyver Meal gone gourmet

Don't laugh! I am the MacGuyver of the kitchen!! My best friend always says I can take black pepper and an ice cube and come up with a gourmet meal- so that's what I'm going to do tonight. Totally going to experiment with an idea I have been working on for a long time in my head and use my Chef as the guinea pig. Fun, huh?

I've been playing around with the idea of stuffed chicken rolls for some time. I've seen similar things in cookbooks and online, but I just wasn't sure what flavor profile I wanted to go with. Sun dried tomato and ?? Italian seasoned ?? I just wasn't sure. But then I got the idea of glazing......and bacon.....and sweet/hot and crunchy/smoky won out.

As you know, we LOVE hot and spicy here, so I'm going in a spicy direction- jalapeno spicy. Not quite ready to get all crazy with ghost chilies just yet this year. That comes later. I also have to consider my somewhat limited options at the grocery store in town if I'm looking for a special ingredient. In this case, I really wanted goat cheese, but try to get that in a town of 1600 and........cream cheese it is. I will be adjusting that flavor to a little more tangy with a little tiny bit of lemon juice. 

I am also going to make good use of items I already have in my pantry and fridge. Things I have canned myself (don't worry, the recipe will be available as well as substitutions if you don't want to go that route), pantry staples, herbs from the garden......

So are you ready for this "take 3 toothpicks, nail polish, hair ties and build a bomb" dinner?

Blueberry Jalapeno Basted Bacon Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

sliced bacon (regular, not thick sliced)

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (I wanted goat cheese but it was unavailable)

1/4 cup chopped candied jalapeno slices  (click for recipe) **

1/2 cup blueberry jam

1/4 cup syrup from jalapeno slices, approximately **

big pinch chopped chives

4 cloves garlic, finely minced 

1/4 cup finely minced onion

Salt, pepper, cooking oil

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Between sheets of plastic, lightly pound out the breasts to about half an inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Another option, if you don't want to pound out the chicken, you can butterfly the breasts and fill the pocket with the stuffing mixture.

In small skillet add just a touch of oil and briefly saute the garlic and onion- no need to cook it long, just enough to get the "raw" out. I tossed the chopped jalapeno in there when the onions and garlic were sweated down nicely.

In small bowl combine cheese, chopped jalapeno, garlic, onion and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Taste test it- if it's too "sweet" hit it with a little lemon juice to mimic the tartness of goat cheese.

Divide mixture between the four chicken breasts and spread out but NOT to the edges. Roll up the chicken. Using one or two strips of bacon per breast, roll around the chicken to seal the edges tightly. Secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.

Transfer to rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees. A rimmed sheet is important to circulate the heat around the bacon and crisp it evenly.

Meanwhile, combine jam with liquid from jalapenos. Start with half the amount of liquid and check consistency. When you have a nice syrupy consistency, brush or spoon some of the glaze over the chicken and continue baking, glazing occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, bacon is crisp and glaze is sticky and golden, about 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken is 180 degrees.

** The jalapenos I used for this recipe are called Cowboy Candy and you can find my recipe by clicking here. HOWEVER, if you don't have this, or don't want to make it, you MIGHT be able to find sweet pickled/candied jalapenos in the grocery store. There are a few brands that make it. If you cannot, it's ok to use regular jalapenos from the jar but you will want to use LESS for the glaze or it might be too vinegary. Taste as you add it and use caution. You can also skip the glaze altogether if you are unable to find a suitable substitute. I don't recommend fresh jalapenos for this recipe.

I served my Blueberry Basted Bacon Chicken with roasted baby purple potatoes and fresh asparagus. I am a sucker for those cute little baby vegetables when I see them in the store. I sneak them in the cart when I can. Asparagus is one of my very favorite vegetables and even though it's February and they definitely are not in season, I still pick some up occasionally. I love their fresh flavor and crunch when just lightly roasted with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

And what did The Chef have to say about dinner? He said it "was the best meal he's ever eaten" so I'll take that as a win!

Eating like a bird.....

While eating a bird. That seems so........wrong. Yet delicious.

So the chef and I are into trying new grains. Rice gets old. And it's not all that great for you nutritionwise- we can do better. And we have been scouring the markets and gourmet shops and websites, grocery co-ops, you name it, for unique new grains to try. This time around it's millet, which truly does look like bird seed. I did my research on cooking techniques and it's pretty much just like rice or quinoa, one part grain, two parts water. I also learned that if you use 3 parts water it cooks down to a porridgelike consistency and is often eaten for breakfast.

But I am making dinner so let's get to that.

Everyone knows I am a canner. If you don't you just met me five minutes ago. I have been trying new recipes every year and one that is super popular with other canners is "Cowboy Candy", sliced candied jalapenos in a spicy sweet syrup. A lot of people use it like pepper jelly, served on cream cheese and crackers. (I'll post that recipe below).  I have been trying tho think outside the box and use this sweet hot condiment in a different way- a sauce !!

Now, the details:

1 jar Cowboy Candy
1 package chicken breasts (I used a package of two halves)
1/4 cup brown sugar
kosher salt
3 tbs butter at room temperature
1 cup millet
2 cups water
1 tb butter

Let's get the chicken going first. I cut the breast halves into halves leaving me with 4 pieces of chicken. Place in lightly oiled baking pan. Mix brown sugar with several tablespoons of the syrup from the Cowboy Candy, testing til you get the desired heat/sweet balance. Add butter and mash/mix (it will look curdled and weird but that's ok). Pour over chicken and top each piece with jalapeno slices. Bake at 425 degrees about 20 minutes or until chicken tests done.

While the chicken is baking, put the millet in a small saucepan and heat over high heat,stirring constantly, to slightly toast the grain. Add the water, butter, dash of salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until done. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

I served the chicken sliced over the millet, drizzled with the pan sauce and a vegetable.

Now for the Cowboy Candy- this is a VERY common recipe canners have been sharing for generations. I do not have any idea who originally invented the recipe, or even this particular version, but it's been shared and passed around so much I think it's ok to put it here.

• 3 lb firm, fresh jalapeno peppers
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 3 tsp granulated garlic (I had to sub 2 cloves super minced fresh)
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Wearing gloves, remove stem end from peppers and slice into uniform 1/4 inch thick slices. Set aside.

In a large pot bring remaining ingredients to boil. Reduce heat, simmer five minutes, then add pepper slices and simmer 4 more minutes. Using a slotted spoon, pack peppers into hot sterile canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Bring heat back up under the pot and boil the syrup at a full rolling boil for 6 minutes.

Ladle syrup over peppers. Remove air bubbles, fix lids and rims and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool, age peppers for at least two weeks.

*Note- if you want to skip the canning step, just divide the peppers and syrup among jars or freezer containers and store in the fridge. They are a pickled product so they will last a while.

Chicken wings and football- what could be better ?

Opening Night of the NFL is always a big occasion for me, no matter what team is playing !! Tonight I'm cheering on the Saints (can't root for the Packers !! Noooooooo) and they're letting me down !! Anyway, since moving out to the lake football nights at the bar with a bunch of people and bar snacks is a thing of the past and we have to recreate that atmosphere for ourselves. How ?? Ice cold Bud and wings of course !!

Ok, clockwise from the top, The Chef's Buffalo Wings with ghost chile sauce, my blueberry jalapeno wings and pineapple garlic teriyaki wings.

Let's start with the buffalo style sauce- The Chef went traditional with his wing sauce- the traditional mix of real butter and Frank's Red Hot but he kicked it waaaaay up with about half a teaspoon of crushed ghost chile and some crushed dried habanero and served alongside bleu cheese dressing (no ranch in this wing-eating house !!)

My blueberry jalapeno wing sauce consisted of blueberry jam, minced/crushed jalapeno and a half teaspoon or so of crushed cayenne pepper and just a hit of lime juice to thin it out a little.

The pineapple garlic teriyaki wings started with a Pampered Chef Pineapple Rum sauce. I used about 1/4 cup of the bottled sauce, added 2 cloves of garlic super finely minced, a big dash of soy sauce and about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed Jamaican Yellow Mushroom pepper to add some fire.

We didn't fry the wings- instead baked them for about 3 hours at 215 degrees (loooow and slow) after rubbing them with our homemade meat rub mixture. Then each sauce was tossed with a pile of wings and back in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes til the sauce glazed and got all sticky and yummy.

The result........was absolutely delicious. Sweet heat in one bite and searing hot the next. Perfect football snack and I can't wait to make them again !!