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We're Hot For Jalapeños!

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:53:14 PDT

This year's hotter-than-heck Summer makes us crave nothing but more heat - for our palates, that is! There's something pleasantly painful about the slight scorch of a jalapeño-infused dish (and, of course, an ice-cold beer to chase it down). From gyro jalapeño poppers to spicy cucumber and cantaloupe paletas, here are six creative ways we love to turn up the heat on your plates.

Bacon-wrapped jalapeños	Gyro jalapeño poppers	Pico de gallo
Grilled jack cheese-stuffed jalapeños	Jalapeño nacho cheeseburgers	Spicy cantaloupe and cucumber paletas

Simple Tip: Char Peppers Directly on the Stove

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:04:34 PDT

While I normally roast peppers following the traditional method (in the oven), sometimes I get lazy and simply throw them directly on the gas stove like I'm a Spanish grandma. Here's how you do it:

Turn the burner's heat up to high and place the peppers over the flame.
Let them cook, until blackened and charred, turning every couple of minutes to burn each part of the pepper.
The rest of the procedure is the same: once charred, place the peppers in a plastic-wrap covered bowl or brown paper bag to steam. When cooled, peel, slice, and use!

What's your technique for roasting peppers? Share it with us below in the comments.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Roasted Squash and Pepper Tart

Susannah Chen — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:00:56 PDT

Tiring of the Fall soup-and-stew rotation already? Turn to a meal that's worthy of your attention and excitement, especially since it's ideal for everything from an impromptu get-together to a casual night in.

Roast red and yellow peppers, fennel, and Winter or Summer squash of your liking with herbs until fork-tender, then transform them into the center of attention by giving them a balsamic-and-vinegar treatment and a puffy crust.

The final product is cheaper than a galette you'd pick up from a comparable French bakery. For the recipe, read more.

Savory Sight: Union Square Peppers

Yum Community — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 05:50:04 PDT

Peppers are in season - a fact that marzbars proves with this stunning photo from the Savory Sights group. Aren't the purple ones beautiful?!

We were walking through Union Square in NYC and found this market, I just had to take a photo.

Do you have pictures of delicious-looking produce? Share them in the YumSugar Community! Your photo could be featured here!

Savory Sight: Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

Yum Community — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:00:21 PDT

Into pickling? Check out this picture of thehungrytexan's homemade pickled jalapeños.

Easy to make (and festive!) pickled jalapeno peppers. I decided these will make perfect hostess gifts at holiday parties this Christmas! Get the recipe here.

Have you canned some of the season's bounty? Be sure to upload it in the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community!

Cooking the Cover: Saveur's Stuffed Peppers

partysugar — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:00:29 PDT

Last weekend when I asked my sister what she wanted for dinner, she said, "something stuffed." I started to throw out options like grilled, ricotta-stuffed chicken and rice-filled, baked tomatoes, but she grabbed the Saveur that was sitting on the coffee table and said excitedly, "let's make these stuffed peppers!" Since they looked absolutely amazing, I happily obliged. The recipe is pretty straightforward and simple. The filling is a creamy, tangy, and tart mixture of feta, Greek yogurt, and lemon zest. The ingredient list calls for Fresno or Anaheim chiles, which are more sweet than hot, so you can serve this vegetarian dish to people who don't like spicy foods. It's a wonderfully scrumptious appetizer and I highly recommend you give these feta-stuffed peppers a try; here's the recipe.

Come Party With Me: Half-Birthday Housewarming - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:50:35 PDT

On birthdays (and half birthdays), I like to make my favorite foods, thus for my half-birthday housewarming, I plan on serving a spread of delectable Italian bites. The party goes from 7:30-10 p.m., smack in the middle of dinner time, so I'll need to offer a substantial amount of food. I don't want to spend days in the kitchen or prepare anything that requires a plate and utensils; that's why I'll take some help from the grocery store and make four easy appetizers.

From the Italian market I'll purchase charcuterie, an assortment of cheese, marinated olives, grissini, nduja and crusty bread. A quartet of homemade dishes - stuffed marinated hot red cherry peppers, polpette in spicy tomato sauce, roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, and arugula and fava-bean crostini - rounds out the menu. To check out the recipes I'll be using,

Stuffed Marinated Hot Red Cherry Peppers
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

14 hot red cherry peppers, cored and seeded, tops reserved
4 ounces young pecorino or provolone cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
14 small sprigs fresh marjoram
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Stuff each pepper with cheese and a sprig of marjoram. Transfer stuffed pepper and pepper tops to a glass loaf pan.
Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over peppers. Let marinate at room temperature 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tops on peppers. Cook until cheese has melted and peppers are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve with bread.

Makes 14 peppers.

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Polpette in Spicy Tomato Sauce
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 pound ground veal
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
Large pinch of crushed red pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, mix the veal with the sausage meat, bread crumbs, milk, garlic, chopped parsley, egg whites, tomato paste and 1/2 cup of pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Roll into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Bake the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking sheet for about 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
In a large saucepan, season the tomato sauce with the crushed red pepper. Add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with pecorino cheese and serve.

Serves 12.

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Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.
Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

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Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (1 1/4 pounds in pods) or shelled fresh or frozen edamame (soybeans; 3/4 pounds in pods)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula (1 1/2 ounces), divided
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 baguette
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
16 mint leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Cook fava beans in boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins (if using edamame, don't peel).
Pulse fava beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup arugula, cheese, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to favas in processor and purée until smooth. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop remaining cup arugula and gently fold into fava-bean mixture.
Cut 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub with cut side of garlic.
Spoon fava-bean mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.

Serves 8.

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Cuban Beef and Peppers

YumSugar — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:30:48 PDT

After falling in love with a Cuban-inspired crockpot chicken, tonight I'm cooking along the same vein with a beef and pepper braise that conjures up images of dinner in Havana.

I'll serve the fork-tender flank steak and bell pepper medley over steamed white rice, avocado, and my favorite herb, cilantro. Ready to make your own one-pot Latin meal? Then keep reading.

Would You Eat These Chile Peppers?

partysugar — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 04:00:28 PST

When I was dining at El Pescador in Costa Rica, the waiter placed a jar on the table and said, "chilero." It was a container of small red chile peppers. I asked him how hot they were, and he simply replied, "yes hot." Always an adventurous eater, I decided to taste one to determine their spiciness. I tried to get my sister and dad to eat one with me, but both refused. How about you?

Fast & Easy Dinner: Poached Halibut and Peppers

partysugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:50:16 PST

When we asked you what your culinary resolutions for 2010 were, Filmgirl81 said that she hopes to "cook more fish" because it's way "cheaper to make at home and very healthy." I couldn't agree with her more, and that's why I found this delectable-sounding poached halibut recipe. Thick fillets are simmered in a light liquid of white wine and water. Red bell peppers provide a pop of color and permeate the dish with a subtly sweet flavor. The resulting fish is flaky and moist. For a midweek pick-me-up, serve with mixed greens lightly dressed with dijon vinaigrette and a glass of the leftover white wine. Look at the simple but satisfying recipe after the jump.