GumboGrits: Hot sauce

Showing posts with label Hot sauce. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Tofu Fajitas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 package of firm tofu
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
chopped up cilantro (to desired taste)
1/2 cup of tequila
1 onion
1 lemon
1 lime
1 firm tomato
garlic
spices - oregano, paprika, basil, salt and pepper.
favorite hot sauce (sauces)
5-6 vegan tortillas

Directions:

first you must chop up your ingredients. Cut the tofu into long strands, place in a small bowl and save, next chop all the bell peppers, first remove the upper part by cutting in a circle around the stem, then slice pepper into stands, (NOTE: Keep the seeds to add to the fajitas) Cut the onion into halves and then cut sideways to the onion (you'll have half moons) Cut the tomato into long slices, and mash the garlic. Cut lemon and lime in half, and have a fork handy to aid you in squeezing them. (All ingredients must be ready, or you may burn your fajitas.)

In a semi deep pan, add canola oil (or olive oil works fine) and let heat at a medium flame. When oil is hot, add the onion and the garlic, stir constantly until you can smell the onion, but not too long or the garlic will bur and stink up the whole thing.

Next, add the peppers and then the tomato. Be careful not to smash the tomato or it will be all liquidy. Now add the strands of firm tofu. (after this point the order of the ingredients is irrelevant.) Squeeze in half a lemon and half a lime, salt slightly, Add a dash of the tequila, a dash of each of the spices , your hot salsa, your cilantro, and remember to keep stirring. Keep adding the ingredients until you feel it is well seasoned.

When all the ingredients have been added, and all the peppers, onion and tomato look cooked, your fajitas are ready. NOTE: you can add other veggies, but then it is only stir fry, not fajitas. The tequila gives it flavor, and all alcohol evaporates when cooked.

Serves: 5-6

Preparation time: 15 minutes cook time, 15 minutes prep time

Monday, January 11, 2010

African Hot Sauce

An all-purpose hot sauce.

What you need

one dozen chile peppers (i.e., hot red peppers!)
one small sweet green pepper (or bell pepper)
one clove garlic
one medium onion
two cans tomato paste
four tablespoons vinegar
one teaspoon sugar
one teaspoon salt

What you do

Remove stems and seeds from peppers. -- Careful! Wear kitchen gloves! Do NOT touch your eyes or face while handling hot peppers! Wash your hands with soap and water after you have handled hot peppers -- Grind hot peppers, green pepper, garlic, and onion (or use food processor). Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Simmer for an hour or two. Add cayenne pepper if desired. Put in jars and refrigerate.
Serve with everything.

Pili-Pili Sauce

An easy-to-make hot sauce. Pronounced "pee-lee pee-lee", also spelled pilipili. From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, this word is used throughout tropical Africa to refer to hot red peppers, sauces made from them, and foods cooked with these peppers or sauces. Is Pili-Pili a reduplication? See the Coupé-Coupé recipe.

What you need

several chile peppers (i.e., hot red peppers!), cleaned and finely chopped
juice of one lemon
a few cloves of garlic, minced
several pieces of parsley, minced (optional)
a few tablespoons of cooking oil
a pinch of salt

What you do

Mix all ingredients by hand or with a blender, food processor. Cook in a hot skillet for a few minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Serve with everything.

Instant pili-pili: Mix cayenne pepper or red pepper powder, garlic powder, and onion powder with a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Indoor Oyster Roast for 8 People

Time: 45 Minutes

100 to 120 unshucked oysters, scrubbed clean
6 small lemons, cut into wedges
Tabasco, or other pepper sauce
Oyster knives
Oyster gloves, garden gloves, or kitchen towels for shucking

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Working in batches, arrange oysters in a single layer in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan fitted with a flat rack. Pour 1/3 inch of hot tap water into pan, and bake for 7 minutes, or until oyster shells have begun to open.

2. Using gloves or tongs, transfer oysters to a table covered in newspaper for guests to shuck, garnish and eat while next batch cooks. Add water to pan as necessary, and repeat roasting until all oysters have been served, about 45 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

Above: The oyster-shucking table, ready for guests and oven-roasted oysters
(Note: heavy-duty dishwashing gloves, another option for hand-protection)

Above: Oysters on a flat rack in the roasting pan. Pour in a half-inch water and into a preheated 475-degree oven they go!

Above: Down the hatch!

--Matt Lee and Ted Lee

Check out Matt Lee and Ted Lee’s favorite kitchen products in the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Fried Fish Sandwich

Prep Time:: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time:: hr min
Cook Time:: 16 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 4 servings

Ingredients

Grapeseed oil, for frying
2 1/2 pounds fresh flounder fillets
3 tablespoons seafood seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 eggs beaten
Remoulade sauce, recipe follows
1 large French baguette, cut into 4 servings
12 tomato slices
8 romaine leaves, chiffonade
1 small red onion, sliced thin

Directions

Preheat oil in saute pan.

Wash off fillets and pat dry with a towel. Lightly sprinkle with seafood seasoning on both sides.

In 3 separate bowls, place flour mixed with 3 tablespoons seafood seasoning. panko and 3 beaten eggs.

Dredge fillets into flour, egg and then panko. Add fish to oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined platter.

Spread remoulade sauce on both sides of toasted bread with a rubber spatula. Layer some romaine on the bottom, then top with fish, sliced tomato, red onion and then finally, a little more romaine on top. Add top portion of bread to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Remoulade Sauce:

1 teaspoon hot relish (recommended: Amish or Indian)
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon chopped anchovies
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Place all ingredients into a blend but the mayonnaise and pulse together for a minute. Pour into bowl and add mayonnaise. Mix together. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Friday, August 21, 2009

RED BEANS AND RICE

A lot of this is going to be trial-and-error, and it's going to take a little practice before you get it right. Me, I got good at it by making it once a week for over two years, and putting out an open invitation to my friends that there'd be red beans 'n rice at Chuck's place every Sunday (well, it was tough to cook on Mondays back then).

This dish holds a very special place in my heart. While I have many favorite dishes, and have had fabulous meals the likes of which come along very rarely ... this is tops. It's delicious, it's cheap, it's simple, and it makes me feel good. It's the number one comfort food in the world for me.

You'll probably want to fiddle with it each time you make it, and arrive at the exact, instinctual combinations of seasonings that you like. Feel free to alter this recipe to your taste, but don't stray too far.

You can make this dish completely vegetarian, and it's still really good; instructions are below.

This recipe is featured on pages 116-117 of the 2001 Frommer's Guide to New Orleans, for which I also wrote a bunch of restaurant reviews. Neato!

* 1 pound red kidney beans, dry
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 bell pepper, chopped
* 5 ribs celery, chopped
* As much garlic as you like, minced (I like lots, 5 or 6 cloves)
* 1 large smoked ham hock, 3/4 pound of Creole-style pickle meat (pickled pork), or 3/4 lb. smoked ham, diced, for seasoning
* 1 to 1-1/2 pounds mild or hot smoked sausage or andouille, sliced on the bias
* 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
* 1 or 2 bay leaves
* As many dashes Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco as you like, to taste
* A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
* Creole seasoning blend, to taste; OR,
o red pepper and black pepper to taste
* Salt to taste
* Fresh Creole hot sausage or chaurice, links or patties, grilled or pan-fried, one link or patty per person (optional)
* Pickled onions (optional)

Soak the beans overnight, if possible. The next day, drain and put fresh water in the pot. (This helps reduce the, um, flatulence factor.) Bring the beans to a rolling boil. Make sure the beans are always covered by water, or they will discolor and get hard. Boil the beans for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain.

While the beans are boiling, sauté the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) until the onions turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. After the beans are boiled and drained, add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, then add the ham hock (or ham or pickle meat), smoked sausage, seasonings, and just enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 2 hours at least, preferably 3, until the whole thing gets nice and creamy. Adjust seasonings as you go along. Stir occasionally, making sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pot. (If the beans are old -- say, older than six months to a year -- they won't get creamy. Make sure the beans are reasonably fresh. If it's still not getting creamy, take 1 or 2 cups of beans out and mash them, then return them to the pot and stir.)

If you can ... let the beans cool, stick them in the fridge, and reheat and serve for dinner the next day. They'll taste a LOT better. When you do this, you'll need to add a little water to get them to the right consistency.

Serve generous ladles-ful over hot white long-grain rice, with good French bread and good beer. I also love to serve grilled or broiled fresh Creole hot sausage or chaurice on the side. Do not serve with a canned-beet salad, like my Mom always used to do. (Sorry, Mom ... try something interesting with fresh beets and we'll talk. :^)

I like serving a few small pickled onions with my red beans -- I chop them up and mix them in with the beans. It's great! Why does it taste so good? As my sister's friend (and dyed-in-the-wool New Orleanian) Cherie Valenti would say ... "It's da vineguh!"

YIELD: 8 servings

Vegetarian Version

Follow the same instructions as for the regular version above, except:

Omit the ham hock (or ham or pickle meat), and the smoked sausage.

Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil along with the seasonings.

Add 1 teaspoon (or enough as you like, to taste) of liquid smoke seasoning. The vegetable oil helps replace the fat you get from the sausage, and the liquid smoke flavoring helps replace the smokiness you get from the smoked sausage and smoked ham hock. Be very careful with liquid smoke, though ... a little goes a long way and it's really easy to overdo it.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Shrimp Cocktail

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Prep Time:
0 min
Inactive Prep Time:
0 min
Cook Time:
0 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients

* 32 shell-on (21 to 25 count) tiger shrimp

For the brine:

* 1/4 cup kosher salt
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 cup water
* 2 cups ice

For the cocktail sauce:

* 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
* 1/2 cup prepared chili sauce
* 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* Few grinds fresh black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning

Directions

Using a pair of scissors or a serrated knife, make an incision down the backside of the shrimp, following the intestinal track. Eviscerate shrimp and rinse under cool water leaving shells intact.

Place cleaned shrimp into a bowl with brine and refrigerate mixture for 20 to 25 minutes. While shrimp are brining, place tomatoes, chili sauce, horseradish, sugar, pepper, and salt in food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate cocktail sauce until ready to serve.

Place a baking sheet or broiler pan under oven broiler and preheat for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, if desired.

Place shrimp onto a sizzling sheet pan and return to broiler immediately. After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp with a pair of tongs. Return the shrimp to broiler for 1 minute. Transfer to a cold cookie sheet. Refrigerate immediately.

Once shrimp have chilled, arrange with cocktail sauce in a martini glass or as desired.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

Southern Fried Chicken

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:
7 min
Inactive Prep Time:
0 min
Cook Time:
13 min

Level:
Intermediate

Serves:
4 servings

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Southern Fried Chicken:

4 eggs

1/3 cup water

1 cup hot red pepper sauce

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon pepper

House Seasoning

2 1/2-pound chicken, cut into pieces

Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil

To make the House Seasoning, mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer than white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Sexy, Spicy, Hot Barbeque Shrimp

Wonderful play on a health dish! This is a great way to eat shrimp. Enjoy with an island or tropical style rice.

Gather together the following ingredients:

2 Pounds Large Shrimp in Shell

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Olive Oil

8 Garlic Cloves Crushed

4 Whole Bay Leaves

4 Teaspoon Fine Herbs (McCormick or Spice Island)

16 oz Bottle of Hot Sauce

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

Juice from 2 Fresh Lemons

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add oil and other ingredients except of shrimp. Heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and let sit for 2 hours. (Can be made ahead and saved for a couple of days in refrigerator.) When ready to make shrimp, add shrimp to sauce and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium low or low and simmer for about 20 minutes. (Stir frequently).

Can be used as a marinade or to baste when cooking on the grill!

Serve in a bowl with sauce and soak-up sauce with bread.

Belizian Style Habanero Hot Sauce

The Habanero Cookbook, DeWitt & Gerlach

This sauce is similar in taste to Melinda's

1 small onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup carrots -- chopped
2 cups water
3 Habanero chilies (3 or 4) -- minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Saute onion in oil until soft. Add carrots and water.Bring to boil,reduce
heat,and simmer until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat . Add
chilies,lime juice and salt to the carrot mixture. Place in processor and
puree until smooth.Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Ya'll come back now!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Thai Shrimp With Asparagus

You can substitute scallops for the shrimp.
Ingredients:
1 lb Large Shrimp
1 tsp Salt
1 lb Fresh Asparagus (fresh preferred but you can use canned)
1/2 cup Whole Straw Mushrooms - Fresh or Canned
4 stalks Green Onions
2 tbs Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil
3 cloves Garlic - chopped
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tbs Thai Fish Sauce (nam pla)
1 tbs Oyster Sauce
2 tbs Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Whole Peanuts
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
a few dashes of Hot Sauce
Preparation:
1. Shell and devein the shrimp.
2. In a bowl toss the shrimp with salt; let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly with cold water, drain and pat dry; set aside.
4. Go to step 5 if you are using canned asparagus. If using fresh asparagus, cut the asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the asparagus into the water and blanch for a few seconds or until it turns bright green. Remove and shower with cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. If using canned mushrooms and asparagus, drain and rinse them with cold water, Cut the asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths; set aside.
6. Cut the green onions, including part of the green tops, into 1 1/2-inch lengths.
7. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot add the oil and garlic; toss until lightly brown. Turn the heat to high and add the green onions and shrimp to the wok; stir-fry together until the shrimp turn bright orange and feel firm to the touch, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, sugar, pepper, fish sauce, oyster sauce, peanut butter, peanuts, chicken stock and hot sauce; stir-fry together until the mixture is heated through and serve over white rice

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