Matt Bray – Page 68 – PepperScale

Chipotle Alfredo Sauce

Creamy with a touch of fire and smoke…

A simple pasta with alfredo sauce is made into something more dramatic with the inclusion of smoky chipotle peppers. Canned chipotle in adobo sauce brings a touch of smoke and fire to the table. It’s a delicious combo with the simple creaminess of alfredo sauce. Pair it with chicken or shrimp for a more hearty meal. Or thicken up the sauce a bit with some extra simmering time for something more dip-worthy.

If smokiness is not your thing, but you’re still looking for a fiery kick to your alfredo sauce, take a look at this delicious alternative. Our spicy alfredo sauce recipe uses cayenne – a more neutral flavor though with a certain uptick in kick – so the overall creamy alfredo flavor remains pure.

Spicy Turkey Gravy

by Matt Bray

Chipotle brings a smoky warmth…

Sure, any type of turkey gravy is pretty delicious, whether over turkey, mashed potatoes, or any of the typical sides that often accompany them. But if you’re looking for something a bit more memorable, that chipotle powder in your spice rack can be just what you need. This spicy turkey gravy has a touch of smoky warmth from the chipotle peppers that works quite well with classic turkey meals.

Feel free to adjust the amount of chipotle powder as you see fit. You could also try this recipe with chipotle in adobo sauce instead. Start with a half chipotle pepper mashed into a paste. You can also use some of that deliciously earthy adobo sauce in the mix for a spicy gravy that’s a bit more exotic.

Spicy Green Bean Casserole

by Matt Bray

A smoky, fiery take on the green bean classic…

Here’s a little twist on the classic green bean casserole that many of us grew up with. It has all of the cream of mushroom goodness you expect, but the added kick is smoky chipotle pepper powder. Chipotle’s smokiness is so good with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms, and its jalapeño-level heat is still pretty family-friendly, particularly with the amount we use here.

Keep the recipe handy for any time of year. Spicy green bean casserole is one of those versatile sides that works just as well as a BBQ side as it does next to a holiday ham or turkey. Plus, it’s an excellent way to use a ton of those fresh green beans from your garden (though canned cut green beans work well too).,

What Are Nightshades? How Alkaloids Affect Your Health

by Matt Bray

Hot peppers have an infamous family…

The nightshade family is flowering plants also known by their Latin name Solanaceae. There are more than 2,000 plants in this family, including hot peppers and sweet peppers. Most of these nightshades are not eaten as food and are in fact, poisonous. The long list of nightshade fruits and vegetables, though, also includes many fruit and vegetable kitchen staples including chili peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, tomatillos, and goji berries. Nightshade plants all have certain distinctive traits in common including the shape of their flowers. They also contain compounds that may have negative effects on your health (but also many positive health benefits as well).

Spicy Creole Sauce

by Matt Bray

Butter and spice…

This butter-based spicy Creole sauce is plenty rich with a whole lot of Southern charm. It uses a wide variety of spices off the spice rack – most of which are part of a typical Creole spice mix. So if you have a premade Creole seasoning at the ready, you could swap out the dried seasonings below for a comparable amount of seasoning (approximately three tablespoons). Note – Creole seasonings differ slightly in ingredients, so there may be a slightly different end flavor if you choose this option. Our homemade Creole seasoning recipe, for instance, includes basil and thyme in the mix.

Cayenne pepper is the spicy star here (and would also be present in a pre-made seasoning mix), but the sauce also gets a little heat from a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. Adjust both to your liking (up or down). Try this sauce with fish, particularly shrimp and catfish. Or add some delicious spice to your breakfast. This sauce is oh so tasty drizzled over scrambled eggs.

Cajun Meatloaf

by Matt Bray

Cajun comfort food…

Looking for a comfort food recipe that has something to say in the spice department? Meet Cajun meatloaf. This Southern-inspired recipe is plenty filling with a delicious Cajun bite.

The oomph behind this meatloaf are three Southern staples: Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and Tabasco sauce. It’s not overkill in terms of spiciness here – most in the family can enjoy this dish even if they aren’t normally fans of spicy food. Really, Cajun cuisine is all about the flavorful spices, not just the spiciness. Though, if you prefer some extra heat, feel free to go heavy-handed on the cayenne. An extra half teaspoon (or more to your taste) brings some extra edge for those more die-hard spicy food fans. Or try adding a touch of cayenne to the honey ketchup that tops the meatloaf.

Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa

by Matt Bray

Tangy and sweet with fresh bite!

Your turkey may never be the same when you add a little cranberry jalapeño salsa to the table. It’s tangy and sweet with a fresh bite – a bold holiday appetizer or side. But don’t save it just for holidays! It’s perfect served atop turkey or chicken any time of year, providing lots of zing to the meal. And it’s so delicious simply poured over cream cheese and served with tortilla chips or crackers.

Jalapeño pepper is obviously the spicy star of this recipe, but you could go even bolder by using serrano peppers instead. They often deliver double the heat of the jalapeño, and sometimes more, with a comparable fresh and bright flavor that pairs well with cranberry’s sweet zing. And to get the most from the heat, allow this salsa to rest for an hour in the refrigerator for the best possible flavor. It takes a little time for that jalapeño spiciness to truly permeate throughout the salsa.

Minorcan Mike’s Datil Pepper Salsa: Deep Sweet

by Matt Bray

First things first: We love Minorcan Mike’s Datil Pepper Sauce (see the review here.) Its sweet, spicy, and unexpectedly complex flavor hit all the right notes for a datil pepper hot sauce. So learning that there’s a salsa option, too, is a terrific spicy snacking gift! Minorcan Mike’s Datil Pepper Salsa pretty much provides more of the same, which is a very good thing. This is one tasty sweet salsa, which – while not quite the flavor depth of the sauce – provides a bold sweet flavor with plenty of datil heat.

Chipotle Pumpkin Seeds

by Matt Bray

Smoky snacking…

Pumpkins are the vegetable gift that keeps on giving. Not only do you have the delicious pumpkin flesh to partake in for spicy pumpkin pies, you also have those fresh pumpkin seeds that are oh so good for snacking. You can spice up pumpkin seeds in many ways, but one of our faves is via chipotle powder. Roasted chipotle pumpkin seeds have that earthy flavor you expect. Plus that chipotle pepper provides a tasty hint of smokiness along with a very eatable medium heat.

If you don’t have chipotle powder around the house, you can purchase some from our spicery. Or you can opt for using cayenne powder. See a good spicy pumpkin seeds recipe here that will serve. It won’t provide the smokiness, but it doubles down on the spiciness due to the extra heat of cayenne pepper.

Spicy Red Enchilada Sauce

by Matt Bray

Smoky and bold…

You can’t go wrong with a delicious smoky and spicy red enchilada sauce. Whether you want to layer it atop of your enchiladas prior to baking or simply use it as a dipper side to the plate, it provides a ton of flavor to any enchilada type. This recipe makes enough sauce for four enchiladas (1/2 cup each of sauce) if you’re going the baking route. Adjust up if you’re baking more.

Chipotle peppers provide both heat and smokiness here, with additional spiciness coming from cayenne pepper. Of course, adjust as you need based on your spicy food tolerance. The cayenne pepper can be removed completely without a change to overall flavor (beyond the spiciness).