EatNBetter

I have a favorite ingredient I like to use in a variety of dishes to add a little kick, and a deep smokey flavor. I stumbled on it quite by accident.

I was using chipotle chillis in adobo sauce as an ingredient in a Mexican stew and decided I wanted the chillis in smaller pieces than I had ended up with before. I really liked the depth of flavor the peppers contributed to the dish but I didn’t like the surprise you got when you found a couple of pieces of the pepper in a single bite.

I solved the problem and in the process created what has become one of my favorite additions to many of the recipes I like to make. I put the contents of a can of Chipotle Chillis in Adobo Sauce in a food processor and pressed the button. What I ended up with was a puree with a deep redish brown color. Much to my delight it keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator if you store it in a non-staining tightly sealed container.

I use a small amount of this puree in stir fries, cooked cabbage, greens such as collards, mustard and kale as well as Mexican dishes. I also add it to any recipe I want to spice up a little such as bean soup and BBQ sauce. It is a very versatile and fun ingredient. Try it. I think you’ll like it.

Here are two recipes I like to use it in. If you try this please come back and leave a comment (even if you don’t like it).

Kicked up Kale

1 bunch of Kale
6 oz of vegetable or chicken stock
2 slices of smoked bacon. diced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or pressed
1/2 -1 tsp (or to taste) puree of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce

Wash, stem and rough chop the kale. In a heavy sauce pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Pour off the fat leaving about 1 Tbs. Add the garlic and chilli puree. Stir quickly to avoid burning the garlic and to evenly distribute the puree. Add the kale (about 1/3 at a time depending on the size of your pan) and stir fry briefly to wilt. Add the stock, cover and simmer for about 15-20 min until the kale is done but not mushy. Check occasionally and add additional stock or water if needed. Serving suggestion: Sprinkle a little cider vinegar on the greens. Serve with pork chops or roast pork and baked sweet potato. This same recipe works well for other greens. Try it with collards, mustard, etc.

Surprising Cabbage

1 head white cabbage
1 apple cored and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice (I use Gala but whatever kind of apple you like to cook with will be fine.)
About 1 1/2 C vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp puree of chipotle chillis in adobo sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbs olive oil

Core and rough chop the cabbage. In a heavy skillet or sauce pan heat the oil. Add the puree and stir quickly to evenly distribute it. Add a little of the stock. Add the cabbage in handfulls stiring to wilt. If it starts to dry out add a little more stock. When all cabbage is in the pot add all of the stock. Add the apples. Cover and simmer over med-low heat until tender but not mushy, 15 – 20 min. The sweetness of the apples combined with the smokey heat of the chilli puree gives this dish a delightfully suprising taste.

This would make a great St. Patricks Day alternative.

Tags: Add new tag, cabbage, chipotle chillis, collard greens, kale, Kicked up kale, St. Patricks Day alternative, surprising cabbage