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Tag: jalapeno

Pasta Arrabbiata with Herbed Breadcrumbs

Just a simple plate of pasta can be so delicious- you don’t need a whole lot of ingredients… just really good ones!!

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 to 3 medium shallots, chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeded depending on how spicy you want)
  • 3 cups fresh tomato sauce or canned tomatoes
  • ½ pound penne, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat a saucepan with butter and oil. Add the shallots, garlic and jalapenos. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes. Add basil and pasta. Mix well and check for seasonings and add salt. Adjust consistency of sauce by adding pasta water if needed. Serve warm with a garnish of herbed breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and serve on top of pasta.

 

Mango Tomato Salsa

I made this with yesterdays fajitas and since it was made in the summer- I used mangos and nectarines. Mangos are still available although they are not as yummy as they are in the summer. You can substitute pineapple for mango and apple for the nectarine… so good!

  • 1 large mango, chopped
  • 1 large nectarine, chopped
  • 1 large tomato, chopped or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the ingredients and let the salsa sit for an hour before serving.

 

Szechuan Pepper Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Yummy, yummy is all that comes to mind when I read this recipe.. it is a bit involved but so worth making at home and not ordering the sticky sweet stuff from a take out restaurant…

  • 1 pound small shrimp, cleaned
  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppers
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and chopped

Roast the Szechuan peppers in a small pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out and grind to a powder.

Transfer the ground pepper, salt, garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper to a mortar and pestle. Pound till a paste is formed and marinate the shrimp for 2 to 3 hours and keep aside.

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 cup pineapple, cut into small chunks
  • 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
  • 1 orange pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch squares
  • 1 cup blood orange or regular orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped

Transfer the pineapple, red pepper, orange pepper and onion chunks to a lined cookie sheet. Broil on high for 7 to 8 minutes till the veggies are a bit charred. Keep aside.

Mix the orange juice, vinegar, honey, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl, test for seasonings and keep aside.

Heat a wok like pan with the peanut oil. Add the marinated shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes on high heat. Add the charred vegetables and mix well. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve with brown rice.

 

Quick Pork Tacos with Poblano and Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Crema

OMG, I am so excited about this recipe- this screams summer to me!! I love using Latin/Mexican ingredients in the summer… so good and delicious… this is perfect for through the week or to entertain with…

  • 1 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cleaned and excess fat cut off and cut into 1 inch squares
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo and some sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Blend the peppers, honey, lemon juice, oil and salt together and marinate the pork pieces in the mixture for at least 2 to 3 hours.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat a grill pan with the oil and cook the pork pieces on a high heat till they are golden brown and just cooked through- about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep warm.

Salsa

  • 1 cup pineapple, sliced
  • 1 poblano pepper, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in half with skin on
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt
  • Juice of a lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer the vegetables to a lined cookie sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix well and roast in oven for about 20 minutes till the vegetables are soft. Take out and let cool. Take the skin off the poblano pepper and chop all the vegetables. Place in a bowl and add lime juice and more salt if needed. Set aside.

Avocado Crema

  • 1 avocado, cut in half
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped
  • ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • Juice on one lime
  • Salt

Transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blend till a smooth consistency is achieved.

Serve the pork on warmed corn tortillas topped with the salsa and the crema!

 

Quick Summer Pasta

I was watching Michael Symon making a summer pasta and I decided to tweak his recipe and make my own. I have to say, one of my favorites!!

  • 3 strips bacon, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup green beans, chopped
  • 2 ears of corn, off the cob
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, sliced thin
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water spared
  • Salt

Heat a frying pan and add bacon and oil. Cook the bacon on medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces are golden brown. Add the beans, corn, garlic, green onions and jalapeno. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pasta and pasta water, mix well and add salt, dill and cilantro. Serve warm.

 

Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce

These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…

  • 2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup fish stock
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep warm.

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.

  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

  • 6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
  • ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

 

Avocado and Apricot Guacamole

Yummy guacamole made with apricots! You can use nectarines or peaches… or even plums…

  • 1 ripe avocado, diced
  • 2 apricots, diced
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Add everything to a medium bowl. Mix well and serve.