Eat This: Gingered Sweet Pickled Jalapenos aka "Cowboy Candy"

 
I made candied jalapenos aka "Cowboy Candy" here in the past.  Click HERE for the original recipe with step-by-step instructions.  I ate or gave away my stock so it was time to make more. I wanted to change it up a little and this time, adding a layer of flavor so I added fresh ginger to the recipe.  I love the Asian ginger influence mixed with the Texas taste of the jalapenos.  I cooked fresh ginger, about a 3" long piece, peeled and chopped, in with the vinegar, sugar and spice mixture.  I strained it all before adding the jalapeños.

Eat This: Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Jambalaya With Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

I love New Orleans and all the food associated therein.  One of my favorites is Jambalaya. I’ve had so many variations over the years, but this one is a real favorite and so easy. This recipe was adapted from food.com – Check out their recipe for “Jambalaya With Shrimp and Andouille Sausage”  I made a very few minor tweaks and this turns our really nicely.  You will note the addition of the “heat” via the Jalapenos.  I like spicy, so temper accordingly. 

Serves: 4 very hungry people.

Ingredients

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil (I use EVOO because I like the flavor)
1 cup chopped onion (use the most flavorful – I think a nice yellow is best)

1 large minced shallot (It gives another layer of flavor)
1 cup chopped red, orange or yellow bell pepper (I don’t like the taste of the green ones – too strong)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use 1 tablespoon of a roasted garlic puree from NapaStyle.com)

1 (or 2) large seeded and minced Jalapenos
6 ounces Andouille sausages, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon paprika (I use a smoked Hungarian paprika)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup water (or white wine)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I used a sundried tomato puree instead)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I really like Tabasco Chipotle)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, un-drained (I used the ones with garlic as well)
3/4 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I substitute 4 green onions very thinly sliced)

Directions:

Step 1

1. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, minced garlic, minced Jalapeno(s) and sausage; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Step 2

2.  Add rice and the next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf); cook 2 minutes.

Step 3

3.  Add broth, water, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and diced tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. NO PEEKING – let it simmer covered and don’t lose the steam and heat.

Step 4

4.  Add shrimp (I drop them on the top and immediately cover to let them steam; cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley (or green onions).

Eat!

Serve with a crisp white wine and an arugula and shaved Parmesan salad with a vinaigrette. Delicious.

Spicy Love: "Cowboy Candy" Sweet Jalapeno Pickles

3# of fresh jalapenos make the "candy"

I love spicy food. I love sweet food.  The perfect marriage of the two, in my humble opinion, is "Cowboy Candy" or sweet pickled jalapenos.  The original recipe called for cayenne pepper, but I substituted the subtle smoky flavor of Chipotle instead; and I added mustard seeds.  I like it.  I am new to canning and preserving and an enjoying the journey very much!

 "Cowboy Candy" Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno Pickles

 

The Yield: I got seven half-pint jars and five 4oz jars of pickles plus one half-pint of additional jalapeno syrup.  Hoard the syrup as it is delicious on grilled meats and as a glaze during cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh jalapeno peppers
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 6 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 3 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground Chipotle pepper

The first thing I do is sterilize my jars and lids... it's easy and just part of the "process" I am learning, and it is very important in order to preserve the peppers. Bacteria is not your friend in this case, so be sure you carefully sterilize your implements.

I usually have no problem handling peppers.  But I had a VERY TINY little scratch on my finger and these bad boys set me on fire; so you might want to wear gloves.   Remove the stems from all of the jalapeno peppers by slicing off of the stem-end along with the stem.  Discard the stems. Slice the peppers into 1/8-1/4 inch slices.  Set aside.

 

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large, stainless steel pot.

Add the cider vinegar to the dry ingredients and bring to a boil.  Simmer for FIVE minutes.

Add the jalapenos and simmer for FOUR MINUTES.  Longer and they get overdone and too soft. Less and the peppers do not give up enough of their juices.

 

The setup: no cumbersome cookbook: this was all done online!

Fill the jars leaving 1/4" headspace for expansion during the water bath preservation process.

 

I strain the remaining syrup and return it to the pot. It needs a hard boil for SIX MINUTES.  Once done, ladle the hot syrup into the jars (remember: HEADSPACE. Don't fill too full!)  Use a stainless skewer or cooking chopstick and poke a few times in each jar to release any trapped air.

One of the bonuses of the whole process is the extra syrup.  It is spicy sweet and subtly hot. Use it to brush on chicken or chops or shrimp and grill.  It's wonderful.  Process this just as you do the pickles.

Water Processing the pickles.

Wipe the rims with a damp cloth and place the sterilized lids on the top. Add the rings and finger tighten them.  Place in the canning pot, cover with hot water with 2" water over the top.  Bring the water to a boil and process for 10 minutes for half pint jars, 15 minutes for pint sized jars.

 

Carefully remove the jars to a cooling rack and wait for it.. wait for it..... PING!  As they cool, the tops "SNAP!" and you can hear them.  This tells you they are sealed.  Let them cool for a full 24 hours before you remove the rings, wipe off excess water, replace the rings and label the spoils.  

Let these mellow for a week or two before you chow down (if you can wait that long!)  They get better in my opinion after you open them and then store in the fridge. The spicy, sweet hot and cold are awesome.  They are delicious on a sandwich, or some goat cheese on a flatbread with a crisp white wine.  Delicious.

Dinner: Shrimp & Grits, Texas Style

Tonight I wanted something SPICY, but was also in the "Sunday" frame of mind... comfort food.

Being an addict for shrimp... I thought: Shrimp & Grits! A nod to my Southern heritage.  Living in Texas years ago I have a pretty good palate for hot and spicy.

So here's the scoop:  I took quick cooking grits (1 cup) and used chicken broth and the liquid from a can of Rotel tomatoes (3 cups total) too cook them in.  Once I had the liquid measured, I added back the drained Rotel tomatoes.  Delicious enough, right? Creamy. Spicy.  Not good enough yet.  Add 2 pats of butter and 1/2 cup of aged White Vermont Cheddar and a half teaspoon of roasted garlic grey salt (I get mine from NapaStyle.com).

Then, the shrimp.  I used a pound of large, peeled and deveined Gulf shrinp that have been marinated for a couple of hours in 1 T. of Vietnamese Garlic-Chili Paste - more or less to your taste, but the grits are going to be spicy too so.. tread lightly.  Quick saute of 4 green onions, thinly sliced using only the whites and about 2" of the green ends, one Jalapeno, seeded and FINELY chopped in olive oil (about 3 T.) and butter (3 pats).  Add the shrimp and saute FAST until pink on one side.  Now here's the tricky part: flip em over, remove them from the heat, scoop them all in the center of the pan and cover.  Let it sit for about 3 minutes and they will be PERFECT. Overcooked shrimp are not to be eaten.  Ever.

Shrimp and a little of the pan juices, served over the piping hot grits in a nice earthenware bowl?  H-E-A-V-E-N!

An ice cold beer is the perfect compliment.

Go for it and let me know how it turns out.