Ed's Award Winning Salsa

I have won a few contests with variations of this recipe. This is the basic recipe and I hardly ever make anything twice exactly the same as I made it previously. So experiment! That's what's cool about cooking. The best part is this Salsa can be made in about 15 minutes.

• 1 - Big can (32 oz) Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 2 - 8oz cans of Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Garlic
• 4 cap fulls Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder or 4-6 cloves of fresh Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Cayenne Powder or New Mexican Chile Powder
• ½ bunch of Cilantro chopped
• 2 small cans of diced Green Chiles
• 1 medium sized can of Herdez whole jalapeños with the carrots and onions (save ¼ can of the juice)

Drain as much of the juice out of all of the cans tomatoes as possible. I usually dump the tomatoes into a strainer to remove the juice. Cut the tops off of the jalapeños. Put the jalapeños, ¼ can of the Herdez jalapeños juice, all of the carrots and onions in the Herdez can, tomatoes and cilantro in a food processor and puree. Pour in a glass bowl. Add the diced Green Chiles and the all spices and stir. Let sit at room temperature and stir every few minutes. Taste and adjust the spices. Clean up and you're done. Should have taken you about 15 minutes.

Beef Jerky

• 1 pound London Broil steak
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke - Hickory Flavor
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional - there's plenty in the Soy Sauce)

Mix all ingredients well. Slice a London Broil steak into 1/4 " strips. Its best if the meat is slightly frozen since it will make it easier to slice. Put meat and marinade in a zip lock baggie and marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. Dehydrate to the consistency you desire - remember jerky gets harder as it cools, so don't over cook it.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Pine Nuts

• 3 - 10 ounce packaged of frozen Brussel Sprouts (approx 2 pounds)
• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (pignoli)

Cut the tough ends off of the brussel sprouts. In a 4 quart saucepan, add approximately 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Add the brussel sprouts and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain. Do not over cook.

Cook the bacon until browned and crispy. Remove and place bacon on a paper towel and when cooled, crumble. Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of fat in the pan.

Increase heat to medium and add olive oil to frying pan. Add brussel sprouts, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir frequently until brussel sprouts are browned (approx 5 minutes). Top with crumbled bacon and pine nuts.

Sheri's Mom's Macaroni Salad

• 1 cup condensed milk
• 2 cups mayonnaises
  
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounce bag of pasta

Optional ingredients up to 1 cup

• Shredded carrots
• cubed cheese
• frozen peas
• diced green onions
• 1/8 cup red onion
  
• cauliflower pieces
• broccoli pieces
  
• bacon pieces (1/4" slices crispy)
  
• sliced black olives
• green/red/yellow peppers
• fresh Chile peppers, such as Ancho, jalapeño, etc.
• cubed ham or drained tuna
  

Mix all ingredients together. Start out with 1/4 cup vinegar and increase to 1/2 cup according to your taste. Go easy on the red onions unless you want serious onion breath. Season to taste. You're done - that was easy!

Peppered Shrimp

• 3 pounds large peeled shrimp
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 4-6 cloves chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Clean shrimp and peel off shell
3. Place shrimp in a shallow baking pan
   
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes.
5. Pour butter mixture over shrimp until coated
   
6. Heavily Pepper the shrimp until coated on both sides
   
7. Bake approximately 5 minutes until they are pink. Turn them over and bake another 2-3 minutes.

Server with pasta or a salad.

Habanero Jerk Chicken

Note: This recipe requires special handling. Habaneros are the most spiciest food on the planet and getting the juice on your skin can cause serious irritation. Getting the juice on your fingers and touching sensitive parts of your body (and I do mean the sensitive parts!!!) a few hours later can cause very unpleasant sensations!! (talking from experience here). Wear gloves when handling Habaneros.

Note: This recipe requires advanced preparation.

• 2-3 Habaneros depending on how brave you are.
• 2-4 Jalapeños chopped (to cool it down some).
• 1 large onion coursed chopped.
• 4-6 cloves garlic chopped.
• 1 teaspoons salt.
• 1 teaspoon thyme (optional).
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
• 2+ Tablespoons oil (used to make a paste).
• 6 skinned, boneless chicken breasts cut into large pieces.

Place all ingredient in a blender (except chicken of course – like duh!) and puree. Drizzle oil into mixture until it forms a thick paste while blending. Put chicken and marinade in a large plastic bag and mix thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and kneed occasionally to mix for a minimum of hour. You can continue to mix the marinate for longer periods, up to 24 hours.

Here’s the tricky part… depending on your heat/spiciness tolerance, either scrape the paste off the chicken before cooking, or leave it on for more spiciness (I always leave it on and cook it with the chicken). The marinate paste is considered a hazardous material and requires FDA and Nuclear Regulatory Commission notification before transporting over state lines! (just kidding, but treat it with respect. It is a skin irritant.)

Cook in a cast iron frying pan using some oil. Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked and do not burn the marinade. NOTE: Only consume marinate if it has been fully cooked with the chicken. Make sure you bring the marinade to a boil for a few minutes while cooking. Remember is has been soaking in raw chicken juice!

Serve with yellow rice, a fire extinguisher and many cold beers.

Habanero facts:

A typical jalapeno has a heat range of 2,500 – 5,000 Scovilles (a heat scale).
A typical Habanero ranges from 100,000 Scovilles up to 500,000 Scovilles found in the Rico Red Habaneros. A new variety was recently found in India that tips the heat scale at a  hopping 1,000,000 Scovilles!! So if you think jalapeños are hot, a habanero is at least 1,000 times hotter.

Chipotle Baked Beans

• 6 Chipotle Chiles in Adobo sauce (small can) - stems removed (Embasa Brand)
• 2 Tablespoons of Adobo Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Chile Powder
• 1 large Onion chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic chopped
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound of Bacon cut in 1/2 inch pieces
  
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
  
• 1/2 cup Beer (not light beer!)
• 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Jalapeño powder
• 3 cups cooked Great Northern Beans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

  Sauté Chipotle chiles, onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Combine Chile powders, adobo sauce into onion mixture. Add bacon, beer, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Cook for an additional 2 minutes over medium-low heat stirring constantly.

Using a oven-proof pot, with a lid - Add mixture to the cooked beans and stir well. Bake in oven for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add water (or beer) if the mixture gets too dry.

This makes a great side dish for ribs or Habanero Jerk Chicken.

Sloppy Joes

• 1 lb lean ground beef
  
• 3 cups Mrs. T's Bloody Mary mix
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 stalks celery sliced
• Diced Green Pepper or dices jalapeno (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon hot sauce

Brown meat and drain fat. Saute onions and celery in butter until tender and then add it to the meat. Cook an additional 5 minutes over medium to low heat. Add all other ingredients and simmer 30 minutes or until thick.

Spoon over hamburger buns.

Cranberry Salsa

• 2 diced jalapeños
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cranberries
• Grated orange peel from one large orange
• The Juice from one large oranges
• 3 tablespoons of cilantro (chopped)
• A healthy dash of tequila (yes, its OK if you do a shot also)
• 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
• I don't bother to peel it. You need a little fiber in your diet anyway.
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup honey (Orange Blossom, if you can find it)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

I usually put everything (except honey) into a food processor and give it a good zing to chop it up. Its a lot easier than quartering 200 cranberries by hand! This is the base recipe - I usually use two bags of cranberries and increase the ingredients accordingly. I do lots of adjusting with the ingredients and I doubt you'll ever see me with a measuring spoon or cup in my hands. Remember, recipes are a suggestion of how to prepare something. Adjust according to your own taste. It is best to prepare at least 4 - 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is always a hit on Thanksgiving along with my stuffed jalapeños and smoked turkey. I'll get those recipes added one of these days.

Mazama Sauce

• 1-1/2 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup chile-infused vodka (or normal vodka)
  
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh squeeze lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons honey, warmed
• 8-10 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 2 teaspoon hot chile powder
  
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder 0r 1 teaspoon Adobo Sauce from canned Chipotle peppers.
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

Use for chicken wings or other chicken dishes you want to bring to life. Try as a glaze over meat loaf or ham steak.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes

Modified recipe from Chile Pepper magazine, April 2007 issue

Haitian Jerk Pork Chops or Chicken

Note: This recipe required advanced preparation of 8 to 24 hours.

• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic
  
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 Habanero stem removed
  
• 4 Jalapeños stemmed and seeded
  
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• hot sauce to taste (1 Tablespoon-ish)
  
• 1 cap full Mrs. Dash Extra Hot Seasoning Blend
• -----------------------------------
  
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 6 thick-cut pork chops or 4-6 Chicken Breasts (preferred)
  

Except the pork chops and pineapple juice, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until a smooth paste. Place the pork chops in a zip-lock bag, pour in the marinade, seal the bag and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Note: MAKE SURE that the bag does not leak!! Place bag in a pan just in case. Wash your hands immediately if any of the marinade gets on them.

Prepare the grill: Place one side of the grill on high heat and place a pan of hot water under grill on other side on low heat.

Remove the meat from the bag and pour the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then add the pineapple juice and boil for 12 minutes. Remember! The marinate was soaking in raw Pork or Chicken, so it needs to be boiled before using. Like Duh!

Scrape any marinade off of the meat. Grill pork chops or chicken over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, then move them to the low heat side of the grill. Baste with the boiled marinade and cook until the internal temperature is 160 degrees (about 10 more minutes).

Serve with yellow rice, corn and cornbread stuffing

Pico de Gallo

Note: All items are finely chopped.

• 1/2 cup onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-1/2 cups firm tomatoes
• 2-4 jalapeños
• 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup line juice
• 1 avocado
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl and allow to sit for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. This will keep refrigerated for about 1 day.

Serves 18 (~1/4 cup servings)

Nutrition per serving:
Calories 30, Fat 1.5g, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Carbohydrates 3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 35 mg, Beer 1 can, Fiber 1g

Seafood Chowder

• 1 t olive oil
• 1 cup diced onions
• 6 ribs of thinly sliced celery
• 8 carrots, sliced
  
• 8 cloves diced garlic
• 2-4 sliced jalapeños (seeded)
  
• 2 cup sliced red-skinned potatoes
• 2 cup peeled and sliced yam
• 8-12 corncob slices, cut 1" wide
  
• 4 halved and sliced yellow squashes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups habanero-infused stock (cut habanero and put into chicken stock and simmer 1/2+ hour. Remove habanero when done.)
  
• 1lb Shrimp, 1/2 lb scallops, 4-6 firm white fish
  
• 1/4 bunch cilantro coarsely diced, leave some whole sprigs for garnish
  
• diced green onions for garnish
  
• 2 cap-fulls of Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy seasoning
  
• salt, pepper to taste
  

Add olive oil to stock pot and heat over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, potatoes, and yam and cook about 5 minutes. Add corn and squash and cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the corn and put aside. Put about 2 cups of the chowder into a blender and blend to a chunky consistency. Return to the chowder and increase heat to a slow boil. About 5 minutes before serving, add cilantro.

In a separate pan, add some olive oil and saute the shrimp, scallops and fish until cooked. Remove the chowder from the heat and add the seafood to chowder along with the corn. Season to taste and garnish with cilantro leaves, green onions and a slice of lime.

Note: Habaneros are extremely hot peppers, but taste so good. Handle them with care. If touching the cut habanero with your fingers and then touching your eyes can be a very painful experience. Trust me, I'm talking from experience! :-(

Pepper-Crusted Filet Minon

4 Tablespoons green peppercorns (cracked)
1 Tablespoon black peppercorns (cracked)
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
4 each 1-1/2" to 2" thick Filet Mignon trimmed of fat
5 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1. In small saucepan, heat peppercorns and Olive oil over low heat until small bubbles appear, then simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.
2. Add garlic and chile powders to hot mixture.
   
3. Add salt to mixture when cooled.
4. Rub Filets Mignons with mixture until coated.
5. Cover with clear plastic wrap and press to make sure the peppercorns adhere.
6. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
7. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Also, Heat a baking sheet in the oven.
   
8. Add 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat until faint smoke appears.
9. Remove plastic wrap and place steaks in cast iron skillet for 3-4 minutes on the first side - do not move the steaks in the pan so the crust does not come off. Using tongs, carefully turn each steaks and cook for another 3 minutes until a crust forms.
10. Transfer steaks to baking sheet (remember its Hot!)
11. Roast steaks 3-5 minutes for rare, or 5-7 minutes for medium rare. If you want your Filet Mignons cooked more that medium, then you don't want Filet Mignon! Go get some rib-eyes and slap them on the grill instead.
    
12. Remove from oven and place on wire cooling rack with an aluminum foil tent over the top for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with garlic mash potatoes and a green vegetable.

Recipe was modified from Cook's Illustrated.