Matt Bray – Page 69 – PepperScale

Jalapeño Arugula Aioli

A fresh tasting dip or spread…

When you first think arugula and jalapeño, you may not think there’s much in common. But there’s a lot more “there” there than you may think. Arugula, with its fresh peppery taste, pairs so well with the bright, grassy flavor of jalapeño peppers. It makes for one delicious aioli that’s perfect either as a dip or a spread. It’s particularly good on veggie sandwiches or go hearty and try it as a side to steak. It’s a fresh (and lightly fiery) sauce that’s pretty versatile even with its unique flavor.

Jalapeño peppers are typically hot enough for most. But, if you’re like us, you may want to increase the heat up a notch. We recommend adjusting the chili pepper used instead of increasing the amount of jalapeños used. Serrano peppers have a similar (though not exact) bright flavor, but they are a notch up on the pepper scale – often twice as hot (or even more) than a jalapeño.

Jalapeño Cheddar Popcorn

by Matt Bray

A snack time favorite turned up a notch…

Mixing sharp cheddar flavor with bright and spicy jalapeño pepper is a great way to boost the presence of a snack time favorite. Jalapeño cheddar popcorn won’t overwhelm you on heat (unless you want it to), so this is still a pretty family-friendly cheese popcorn option for movie night or parties. Jalapeño powder may be difficult to buy at your local grocer, but we offer it at our spicery so get ready to add this delicious green powder to your spice rack.

Of course, you can add additional jalapeño powder if you want to boost up that spiciness (or more cheddar cheese powder for some more sharpness), but we let the choice be yours here. If you like this recipe, be sure to check out some of our other spicy popcorn recipes that’ll totally elevate your snack game.

Six Spicy Popcorn Recipes That Bring The Boom!

by Matt Bray

Let’s get ready for some snacktime sizzle…

What an amazing snack popcorn is. You can go simple with a little salt and butter and be perfectly happy. You can dress it up with chocolate, caramel, and other sweets. Or you can fire it up with bold spices to bring the boom to your snack bowl. We love spicy popcorn recipes, and these five from our recipe archives are sure to bring the boom at snack time.

Spicy Mexican Rice

by Matt Bray

A simple staple for Mexican meals…

Whether it’s tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas, you’re going to want a side of spicy Mexican rice to complete that Mexican meal. It’s a simple recipe – and on its own rather plain. But when you pair it with beans and your Mexican dish of choice, the tomato sauce tang and simmering heat (thank you cayenne) bring a nice bit of extra flavor to your meal.

That’s not to say you can’t dress this spicy Mexican rice recipe up a bit. This is the kind of side, like most rice sides, that expand their role on the plate with just a little culinary experimentation. For instance, mix in your bean of choice, fresh chopped tomatoes, and/or cooked peas (just to name a few options) to make things more memorable. With enough added extras, spicy Mexican rice can turn into a delicious light lunch on its own too.

Cajun Ranch Dipping Sauce

by Matt Bray

A simple Southern dipper…

Like mayonnaise or sour cream, ranch dressing is a perfect base for a mix of fiery spices. It makes it so simple to pull together something with a little Cajun flair. This Cajun ranch dipping sauce has three ingredients only, but the flavor is a whole heck of a lot more than what you’d expect. Cajun seasoning has a wide world of spices in it that give this dipping sauce its Southern charm.

We add additional fieriness to this simple recipe via a pinch of cayenne pepper. You can opt for it or drop it completely if you want a milder overall flavor. We like it even hotter than a pinch (think 1/4 teaspoon) if you’re one for extra-spicy in everything. Use this Cajun ranch dipping sauce with fried foods (it’s so yum with fried pickles – try it with this recipe). It’s also delicious with a simple vegetable platter – it beats the heck out of a plain ranch salad dressing dip with crudites.

Peach Habanero Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are peach habaneros? Like many chili peppers, habaneros come in a surprising amount of colors. Orange may be the most common, but there’s chocolate, red, and even more uncommon colors like peach. The peach habanero is a beauty of a pepper – with a …

Salt-Free Cajun Seasoning

by Matt Bray

No salt with a smoky twist…

This is a spin-off of our homemade Cajun seasoning recipe for those who need a salt-free recipe option. Sure, it’s simple to simply pull salt from the original recipe, but salt surely is a flavor enhancer. We like to add something a little different to the mix to bring something special to a no-salt Cajun seasoning alternative. Here it’s a touch of chipotle pepper powder to go along with the cayenne and paprika.

This addition adds a little more spice, along with an undertone of smokiness to the Cajun seasoning. It’s these flavor additions that make this spice blend its own unique take on Cajun seasoning. Don’t want the smokiness? That’s ok, simply remove the chipotle powder from the recipe and you have a blend that’s plenty tasty ready for use! Sprinkle it over steak as a spice rub or use it with soups and dressings to rev up the flavor.

Curried Potato Soup

by Matt Bray

Curry warmth with extra oomph…

Curried potato soup is a simple enough recipe. Potato, leek, and garlic meet cream, stock, and spices. But sometimes simplicity belies the real flavor impact of a meal. It’s exotic, yet comforting. Plus, for us spicy food fans, it’s a tick beyond “warm” in the heat department with the extra oomph provided by cayenne pepper.

This is a soup highly dependent on its spices, so adjust the curry powder and cayenne to your liking. Serve this with a crusty loaf of bread and you have a very satisfying light meal.

Orange Chipotle Sauce

by Matt Bray

A tangy twist to BBQ…

The tangy, citrusy bite of orange is one of our favorite flavors to pair with pork on BBQ day. Now throwing chipotle pepper (one of our chili pepper favorites) into the mix, too, makes one delicious flavor pairing for the grill. It’s all good things in this orange chipotle sauce: tangy, smoky, earthy, and bold.

Don’t limit yourself to pork here (though yes, it’s oh so good with pork ribs). It also pairs well with grilled chicken, or you can use it as a dipper for chicken fingers for something different than the norm.

Ancho Cream Sauce

by Matt Bray

Perfect for Mexican night…

Want something different than the typical salsa or tomato-based chili sauce for Mexican night? Something that’s mild enough that the whole family can enjoy, yet still has plenty of flavor? Meet the ancho cream sauce. It’s super-mild (ancho peppers are typically half the heat of even the mildest jalapeños), yet anchos are packed with flavor. They’re earthy, slightly smoky, and even a little sweet – a perfect foil to rich cream flavor.

Use this sauce with tortilla-based Mexican meals – enchiladas, burritos, or quesadillas are all great options.