Vegetarian – Page 42

Homemade Creole Seasoning

Put that spice rack to work…

Just like Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning is relatively easy to make at home. All it takes is a few more ingredients beyond its Cajun cousin. This recipe is overall light on salt compared to commercial options out there, so play with the amount you use to get the flavor you’re looking for in your dish. The heat is provided by cayenne pepper powder with a little coming from the sweet paprika base. If you want to temper down the spice, cut a tablespoon of cayenne and replace it with paprika.

Homemade Jerk Seasoning

by Matt Bray

A savory seasoning with heat.

When you think jerk seasoning, you think Jamaican foods, jerk chicken, shrimp, and steaks. And it’s true – this homemade jerk seasoning is perfect with all of these things. But it’s a seasoning that’s actually a whole lot more versatile. Try sprinkling it on pizza and sandwiches for a little extra savory oomph. Mix it with mayonnaise to make a phenomenal dipping sauce. Sprinkle it on sweet potato fries or your morning scrambled eggs. You’ll find lots of uses in your kitchen. The heat source: cayenne pepper powder.

Sweet Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

by Matt Bray

Sweet maple syrup meet smoky chipotle…

Talk about two rich flavors that are at the opposite ends of the taste spectrum. Yet together, they are magic. On one side you have rich, sweet maple syrup, on the other smoky, spicy chipotle pepper. Paired in a barbecue sauce, you have a taste bud explosion for your next cookout. Try it on steak, pork, or chicken. It’s great, too, as a barbecue dipping sauce for your favorite fried foods. If there’s too much heat here, lessen the amount of chipotle used to two.

Smoky Sweet Chipotle Dry Rub

by Matt Bray

Rich and intense flavor for your BBQ meats.

Chipotle powder is one of those spices that once you try it, it’s hard not to crave it. That smoky heat is special, and it’s also a ton of fun to experiment with, especially with barbecue. This chipotle dry rub recipe layers that flavorful smokiness with the earthy sweetness of brown sugar and the pungency of garlic and onion powders. Most any well-stocked kitchen can pull this together out of the spice rack, and it’s simply delicious on grilled steaks, pork, chicken, and seafood.

Spicy Cocktail Sauce

by Matt Bray

Add fuel to the fire with Tabasco.

Who doesn’t love the ketchup tang and horseradish kick of a good cocktail sauce? But why have the flavor explosion stop there? Adding a little Tabasco hot sauce will help light your world on fire. Of course, control the heat by the amount of hot sauce used, but we think there’s only one way to go…up, up, up! Try it with shrimp cocktail, fried shrimp, oysters, or crab.

Cascabel Sauce

by Matt Bray

Smoky and nutty, perfect on enchiladas.

The lovely cascabel pepper offers a lot more than just good looks. Its earthy flavors – smoky and nutty – make for one flavorful sauce, especially for tortilla-based Mexican cuisines like enchiladas, quesadillas, and burritos. Try this cascabel sauce, too, with grilled chicken and beef. We like it without the cilantro to retain the full nuttiness, but some prefer the hint of freshness the cilantro brings to balance some of the earthiness.

Aji Amarillo Sauce

by Matt Bray

Brighten your table.

As far as chili-based sauces go, few are as brightly beautiful as aji amarillo sauce. It looks like captured sunshine, and its tropical flavor and medium-high heat tastes terrific on everything from chicken to french fries. Aji amarillo is a staple of Peruvian cooking, so this sauce works very well with South American cuisine and other Peruvian recipes. If you happen to have fresh aji amarillo available, use it instead of the paste.

Guajillo Salsa

by Matt Bray

Guajillo peppers are well-loved for their smokiness and tea-like sweetness, and it’s these two flavors that make it such an excellent salsa pepper. Here mixed with tomatillo, this guajillo salsa has a sweet tang with a trailing smoke. It’s excellent finely blended and served with …

Habanero Guacamole

by Matt Bray

Bring on the guacamole extreme! So you want to experience new heights of heat in your homemade guacamole? Get ready for this. Habanero guacamole may look like your normal appetizer dip or Mexican side, but underneath all that smooth green is an explosion just waiting …

Chile De Àrbol Salsa

by Matt Bray

Smooth and deliciously nutty.

A surprisingly versatile chili – from decorative ristras to olive oil and beverage infusions – the chile de àrbol makes one tasty salsa too. There’s a nutty smokiness here that mellows the tomato tang and deepens the overall flavor of this smooth salsa. And it has a very eatable spicy kick – the chili falls nicely between the serrano and the cayenne pepper on the pepper scale. We love this salsa on tacos and burritos, and it’s savory enough to marinade steaks. Or just go simple and use it when you next need some tortilla chips and dip.