Chile Peppers Q & A's

I wrote my first cookbook nine years ago.  

It is called, MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK.  

I don't know if it is because I live in  New Mexico, or that I wrote a Mexican cookbook, or maybe it is a combination of the two, but I am often asked about chile peppers.

Below are the frequently asked questions that I receive, and the answers that I give.

Q. What is the most popular chile pepper?

A.  The jalapeno pepper is the most popular pepper in the United States. Jalapenos range in heat from mild to hot.  A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno.

 Jalapeno

Q. I want to stuff a chile, which one should I use?

A. Whether you want to stuff a pepper with cheese or beef and rice, the pablano pepper is the most popular chile pepper for stuffing.  They are large and have thick walls and range from mild to medium in heat.  A dried pablano chile is called an ancho chile.

Pablano

Q.  What is a Hatch Green Chile?

A.  Hatch Green Chile, is not one single type of chile, but is actually several different varieties of chile that are grown in Hatch, New Mexico.  Sandia, New Mexico, Big Jim, and Joe Parker are just a few of the varieties of chile that are grown in the Hatch Valley.  Big Jim is the variety that is typically sold at the grocery store as Hatch Green Chile.  The heat ranges from mild to medium.

 Green Chiles

In New Mexico at harvest time, the air is filled with the delicious aroma of roasting peppers. 

I like to roast peppers in my oven.  To see my step by step blog post about roasting peppers, click the link below.

Tip: Roasting Peppers

Q.  I like my food hot, which pepper should I use?

A.  The habanero pepper is probably the hottest pepper you will find at your local grocery store.  It is very hot in heat.

Habanero

Fun Facts from my MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK:

Peppers are a fruit not a vegetable.

Peppers contain more vitamin A and C than orange juice.

The best relief for a burning mouth is milk, sour cream, or yogurt.

Wear plastic gloves while handling and preparing peppers.

Some chile peppers can grow up to 12 inches long or as short as 1/4 inch.

When refrigerating recipes containing hot peppers, your leftovers will become spicier as the peppers continue to release their heat.

The first cookbook featuring a recipe using peppers was published in 1872.

Removing the seeds and veins in a pepper is an easy way to control the heat in a recipe.

On Friday, I will be posting my 

Restaurant Salsa recipe.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Check out my friend Bo's

Le Creuset French Oven Giveaway! 

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Meatloaf Florentine

Meatloaf Florentine

Slow Cooker

2 eggs

1 (16 ounce) jar Parmesan Alfredo sauce, divided

3 slices bread, finely diced

1 (9 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1½ pounds lean ground beef
garlic salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, combine eggs and ½ cup Alfredo sauce. Mix well. Add bread and spinach. Mix well. Add ground beef, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix. 

In bottom of slow cooker sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, shape meat mixture into a loaf, mounded so it does not touch the sides. Cover. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or low 8 to 9 hours. Remove from slow cooker. Heat remaining Alfredo sauce. Serve sauce with meatloaf. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

I
f you have not used your slow cooker to make a meatloaf before you should give it a try.  A big complaint that people have about meatloaf is that it is dry.  If you make it in the slow cooker, it will the moist and tender every time you make it.

This recipe is a new twist on a good old comfort food standby.  The creamy Alfredo sauce is a nice change from the usual ketchup topped meatloaf. 

My husband Stan is not a big cooked spinach fan, so when I first made this recipe he only took a small slice.  After his first bite he went back for seconds and probably would have gone back for thirds if our foreign exchange girls hadn't clean it out.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Check out my friend Bo's

Le Creuset French Oven Giveaway! 

Linked up with:

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder

Nacho Cheese Chicken Chowder

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican style tomatoes, undrained

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can nacho cheese soup

1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn

Shredded Mexican style or cheddar cheese

In slow cooker, combine chicken, tomatoes, soup, and corn.  Mix well.  Cover.  Cook on low 4 to 5 hours or high 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Sprinkle each serving with cheese. makes 6 servings. 

When I get really busy the slow cooker comes out.  Lately my slow cooker has been working overtime.  

This recipe is perfect for those days when you wake up feeling like you are already running behind.  Cut the chicken up the night before, and in the morning it will only take you 2 minutes to have it in the slow cooker.  When the kids get home from school, have them turn the slow cooker to warm, and you will have a meal waiting when you get home.

After cooking in the slow cooker for several hours, the flavor of the chowder is deep and rich, with a mild Mexican flavor that is sure to please the whole family.

Check back on Friday, when I will be posting another 

slow cooker recipe called, Meatloaf Florentine.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Pretzel Toffee

Pretzel Toffee

1 (9 ounce) bag tiny twist pretzels
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (12 ounce) package plus 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover a 15x10 inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

Arrange pretzels in bottom of the pan, in a single layer.

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add brown sugar. Mix well.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes.  Do not over cook; it will be hard to pour and cover the pretzels with the brown sugar mixture if you do.

Carefully pour brown sugar mixture over pretzels.  

Bake 10 minutes.  Remove carefully from the oven.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.

Let stand 5 minutes. Spread chocolate smooth.

Cool.  Refrigerate 1 hour. Peel aluminum foil away from toffee.

Break into pieces.

At Christmas I saw several recipes for Saltine Toffee.  Pam of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner, posted her recipe for it in December.  It must be a Midwestern thing, because not only did my mom make Saltine Toffee, but my grandmother and my great grandmother also made it.

Our friends Fareed and Annette (owners of Passion Radio Network) gave my husband Stan and I a couple of nights at the Strater Hotel for Christmas.  While we were there we went to a little candy shop and had Pretzel Toffee.  My husband and I both loved it, so when I got home I changed my recipe for Saltine Toffee to Pretzel Toffee.  

Annette and Fareed

Right after Christmas, Fareed fell outside of the radio station and broke his leg in two places.  He had surgery to place a rod in his leg and it has been a long road to recovery for Fareed.  He is missed around the radio station.  Going in to record my shows is just not the same without him there.

Fareed loves chocolate; so to help him feel better, I made a batch of Pretzel Toffee for him yesterday and today I am going to drop it by and check on him.  Please keep Fareed and his wife Annette in your prayers.

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Linked up with:

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Giveaway!

On April 1st, I will be drawing a name from the followers of my blog and my new Facebook page, to win a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING, and this plaque! 

I will be giving away a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING.  This cookbook has over 500 yummy recipes using only 3, 4, or 5 ingredients.  It has everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.  It also includes slow-cooker recipes!

Included with the cookbook is the plaque below.

I think cooking for family and friends is one of the best ways to show that you love them.

When I saw this plaque, I had to pick one up for me, and one for the Giveaway.  Weather you are a gourmet cook or just learning, when we cook from a point of love instead of seeing it as a chore, everyone will appreciate it.  By hanging this plaque in my kitchen, I hope I will remember this lesson on those rare days when I don't feel like cooking. 

Sign up for your chance to win!

Follow: Sign up to follow my blog by clicking the "Follow" button on the right side of the page.

My New Facebook Page: Click the "Like" button on the right side of the page, then leave a comment saying you did so, for an extra entry. 

Comments: Leave comments on any posts I make from now until April 1st for extra entries!  Each comment will count as an entry.

The giveaway is open to all of my Followers and Facebook Fans, regardless of where they live.   If your name is drawn and you have a blog, I will mention your blog address on my "Fast Food Fridays and The Cross Connection" radio shows on the The Passion Radio Network, and post your blog address on my blog.

 On Friday, I will be posting my Pretzel Toffee recipe!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff

Chicken Stroganoff

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 (6 ounce) jar mushrooms, undrained
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of mushrooms
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  In slow cooker, place chicken.  Pour mushrooms over chicken.  Spoon soup on top.  Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Add sour cream.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well before serving.  Serve over noodles.  Makes 6 servings.

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This is the busiest time of the year for us, and the slow cooker is a lifesaver for me!  I can put everything in the slow cooker, go about my day, then come home to a delicious meal.  

We love this recipe.  It is comfort food make easy.  I cut up the chicken the night before, so in the morning it only takes a couple of minutes to put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. The result is tender chicken in a creamy sauce with mushrooms through out.

A recipe is only a suggestion.  Personalize it by adding other ingredients.  I would love to hear how you would make this recipe your own?

Giveaway! 

Enter my giveaway, for your chance to win a copy of my cookbook, 

MY KIND OF COOKING, and a kitchen plaque!  

For more details, check out my post about the Giveaway.

Linked up with:


and

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

The Stan-wich

Are you an adventurous foodie, or do you tend to play it safe?  My husband Stan, comes from a long line of adventurous foodies.  The creation of the "Stan-wich" actually began when his father and uncle were faced with a culinary disaster.

Like any great adventure, this one begins long ago and far away, Des Moines, Iowa  in the late 1960's to be exact; you know a lot of strange things happened at that time. A Lactose Jedi and his young apprentice, (some people just call them Milk Men) were out for a long day of dairy deliveries.

They had stowed their survival provisions on ice, which consisted of  bread, cotto salami,  and brown spicy mustard. Stacked top of their hearty lunch was a meager breakfast of store bought cinnamon rolls.  Little did they know, as they set out to satisfy the thirsty masses, tragedy was about to ensue.

Out in the middle of nowhere, hungry from a grueling morning of heavy lifting, our two hero's pulled over only to discover that the bread for their sandwiches had become soggy.  Without a grocery store in site, necessity became the mother of invention.  In place of the soggy bread, the cinnamon roll became the foundation for a new and exciting culinary creation.

This sweet and savory sandwich has been a guarded family secret for nearly four generations,  so secret in fact, that it didn't have a name until my husband made it part of an on air fundraiser for the Passion Radio Network.

 My husband, Stan.

Our guest host Bill Scott, broke out his man card, stepped up to the plate and consumed this gastronomic delight.  It was love at first bite for Bill.  Almost without thinking the name "Stan-wich" rolled off of his lips, and the vision for making this marvelous morsel a household staple was born. 

 

Our friend Bill Scott.  Christian author of the soon to be released book,

The Day Satan Called

We promised the listeners of the Passion Radio Network, that we would post the recipe on my blog, so here it is!

The "Stan-wich"

 1 package Hostess cinnamon rolls

6 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

6 slices cotto salami

Place 1 Hostess cinnamon roll on a plate.  

Spread 1 teaspoon of spicy brown mustard over the frosting.

Top with a slice of cotto salami.
Repeat process with remaining ingredients.

I know it is a strange combination, but I hope you will give it a try.  You never know, you may come to love the "Stan-wich" too!

In loving memory of Bob and Dave Burgett, 

co-creators of the "Stan-wich".

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!