Matt Bray – Page 71 – PepperScale

Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette

A versatile spicy condiment…

The first time you make this jalapeño lime vinaigrette, it’ll probably be for a salad. But the minute you taste it, you’ll see there’s a lot more potential than greens for this yummy spicy dressing. It’s delicious as a marinade for fish (whether grilled or as a topper for fish tacos) and it’s a real flavor booster for grilled chicken (we especially like it as a alternative spicy dipping sauce for chicken satay).

If you want a step up in heat, you can try this recipe with serrano peppers instead of jalapeños. They have a similar bright, grassy flavor, but with a noticeable heat jump (but still within a medium-heat, eatable range).

Sriracha Ranch Dressing

by Matt Bray

Creamy smooth with Rooster sauce kick…

Spicy salad dressings turn your everyday greens into salads with serious attitude. Sriracha ranch dressing is a perfect mix of “smooth and fresh” meets tangy heat. Plus the garlic in the Sriracha sauce (with a pinch more of garlic powder) gives a boost of “bam!” to this dressing. Use it also as a fiery dipping sauce for fresh veggies and chicken wings.

Our version of Sriracha ranch dressing is a semi-short cut. It’s not as simple as taking a bottle of ranch and dashing in Sriracha, but not as complex as making ranch dressing from absolute scratch. We use some creamy ranch dip mix to provide the ranch flavor. Sriracha and cayenne pepper powder provide the spiciness. The cayenne is totally optional and only there as we spicy food fans always like a little extra heat.

Sweet And Spicy French Dressing

by Matt Bray

From greens to taco salad? Yes…

French dressing is sort of a salad dressing secret weapon. It’s of course a delicious greens topper for those that love sweet and tangy dressings. But French dressing (Catalina dressing too) also make a yummy sauce base for taco salads. Yes, it’s true – see a real delicious taco salad recipe right here featuring French dressing.

This spicy version of the salad dressing standard uses both mild paprika and fiery cayenne pepper. Want just a mild simmer? Remove the cayenne pepper completely. Or, of course, feel free to add more if you prefer things even spicier.

Mexican Chocolate Milk

by Matt Bray

Spicy and refreshing with a touch of smoke…

A refreshing glass of chilled Mexican chocolate milk is a terrific way to take the edge off the day. While you can use authentic Mexican chocolate (like Ibarra) to make a version of this delicious drink, this recipe leans instead into what you likely already have in your refrigerator and spice rack. Chocolate syrup and cinnamon imitate the flavor of what you’d find with authentic Mexican chocolate, and then we add some smoky spiciness through fiery chipotle powder.

If you prefer something hot instead, take a look at our Aztec hot chocolate recipe (also featuring chipotle powder) or our spicy hot chocolate recipe using cayenne powder.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries

by Matt Bray

Sweet fries with a touch of fiery smokiness…

For those that love sweet potato fries, it’s a ton of fun to pair them with fiery flavors. The sweetness here is one of those perfect foils for spicy spices And then there’s that smokiness of chipotle pepper. It’s so many flavors in one – sweet, smoky, and spicy together is a real mouth explosion – and yet they are really simple to make.

Chipotle sweet potato fries are a delicious match for burgers or steaks. If you prefer a sweet fry without the smokiness, take a look at our spicy sweet potato fries recipe that uses cayenne pepper and chili powder instead.

Spicy Tahini Sauce

by Matt Bray

Not just for hummus…

When you think tahini, “hummus” is likely the first thing that comes to mind. Well, that and…nothing. Many know nothing about this delicious paste. Hummus is where it’s found among commonly purchased foods, but tahini can be a heck of a lot more than that earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter flavor behind the chickpeas.

Take for instance this spicy tahini sauce recipe. It’s simple to create, but it provides an exotic touch to many common-day cooking needs. It’s delicious as a salad dressing (just add more water to thin the sauce to your preferred dressing thickness) or as a dip for vegetables and crusty bread. It’s perfect, too, as a sandwich spread for roasted vegetable sandwiches and more. Tahini also pairs well with lamb and other rich meats. It’s a big earthy, slightly bitter flavor that doesn’t get lost with these bold flavors.

Cayenne pepper provides the fire here. Use as directed and adjust according to your heat preference.

Spicy Baba Ganoush

by Matt Bray

Eggplant dip turned bold…

For most, spicy hummus would be the first Middle Eastern dip they’d reach for (and we have a few delicious recipes for that, like this smoky chipotle one) – but a spicy baba ganoush is so yum as well. This eggplant dip is perfect paired with hummus as a side to chopped fresh vegetables and pita chips, or use it as a sandwich spread (it’s perfect on a roasted vegetable sandwich).

Cayenne pepper is the simple heat source here, with mild paprika as a garnish for color. Of course, adjust the amount used of cayenne to increase or decrease the heat. Or you could opt for a hot paprika as a garnish to provide a heat boost along with the color pop.

Spicy Granola

by Matt Bray

Hello smoky sizzle…

Granola is one of those perfect “pick me up” foods – whether as a morning breakfast or afternoon snack it gives you a nice boost of energy (and it tastes pretty good too!). You’ll find many recipes for spiced granola, but spicy granola? Well that’s another story. We like our granola with a little sizzle…in fact smoky sizzle in this recipe.

The heat comes from a mix of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper powder. You can control the smoke to heat levels by adjusting the amounts in the recipe according to what you want. Less smoke, more heat? Lower the smoked paprika, increase the cayenne. The spiciness makes this more a snacking granola than a breakfast option (but hey – we certainly don’t judge – we reach for heat at breakfast all the time).

Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce

by Matt Bray

Tropically-sweet with teeth…

Mango and habanero pepper are quite the pair. They are perfect foils in the kitchen, with just enough tropical sweetness in common to blend perfectly. There are so many twists on mango habanero sauces, but one of our favorites brings fresh ginger into the equation. The exotic warmth it brings to this sauce really ratchets up the flavor here.

For extreme eaters, this is a good all-purpose sauce. You can use it as a deliciously intense fish taco sauce or as an fiery dipping sauce for fried chicken fingers. It’s also a terrific alternative to salsa as a chip dip (if you like fruitier dips). If you want a variant that’s better with barbecue, see our mango habanero barbecue sauce that also has a twist of ginger.

Bod’e Pepper Guide: Heat, Flavor, Uses

by Matt Bray

What are bod’e peppers? Like many small chili peppers, the bod’e pepper’s size belies a surprisingly nuanced fruity flavor. Behind their cherry-like looks is a habanero-like fruitiness with a nice hint of smoke – all. And that’s all without that habanero-like heat. In fact, for …