Jalapeño Margarita

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This is certainly a unique capisicum cocktail. To make Hot and Sour Mix: 
to one quart of sour mix add 4 large jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, 
diced and let steep for at least 24 hours. Note: This recipe requires 
advance preparation.

Ingredients

1 1/4 ounces tequila
3/4 ounce Triple Sec
2 ounces hot and sour mix (see headnote)
1 1/2 ounces lime juice
Dash of Tabasco® Jalapeño Sauce
Lime slice and whole jalapeño for garnish

Instructions

Place all ingredients, except lime slice and whole jalapeño, in a 
blender and blend to mix. Pour over ice In a glass and garnish with the 
lime slice and whole jalapeño. If a frozen margarita is preferred, add 
one cup ice to blender with other ingredients.

Jerk Chicken with Pineapple-Mango Salsa

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This recipe for jerk sauce is fiery but not incendiary, full of flavor, and worth the effort to make it. There are as many Jamaican recipes for jerk as there are Jamaicans; I settled on this as one the best of the best. Serve with big iced bottles of Jamaican Red Stripe beer. Read more about Jamaica’s Jerk cuisine in the article“Cookin’ Jerk on de Barbacoa, Mon!” By Rick Browne

Ingredients

Chicken

















1/3 cup coarsely chopped shallot

4 green onions, green and white parts, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water

Juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 to 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon dried thyme

4-6 (4 to 6 oz.) skinless, bone-in chicken breasts

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1 cup chopped fresh mango

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, combine the shallots, green onions, oil, water, lime juice, soy sauce, Scotch bonnet, garlic, ketchup, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and thyme and process until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.

Wash the chicken breasts and pat dry. Using rubber gloves, cover each breast with the jerk paste. Place the chicken in a re-sealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

Prepare a charcoal or gas barbecue for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan under the cool side of the grill rack.  Preheat to 350 degrees F. Make sure the grill rack is clean, and oil it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove the chicken from the bag and transfer to the prepared grill rack over direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes per side, then move the chicken to the cool side of the grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer per side, until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F. Remove the chicken from the grill and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the salsa by combining the pineapple, mango, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice in a food processor and pulsing 3 or4 times until the ingredients are chopped, but still chunky. Pour into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Serve each breast topped with a generous portion of salsa.

Chimichurri Sauce

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This light, olive oil-based sauce is all you’ll need to adorn that perfectly seared chunk of asado.

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 bunches Italian parsley, stems trimmed
Juice from 2 large lemons
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a food processor, process the garlic and onion until well mixed. With the motor running, add the parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and cayenne. Add the olive oil, pouring in a slow, steady stream. Continue to process the mixture until it is smooth and quite thick, about 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sauce into a bowl, add the salt and pepper, cover, and set aside.

Beef Empanadas

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Empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. In Spain, empanadas are usually large and circular in size and are cut into smaller portions for consumption, whereas in South America empanadas are normally small and semi-circular. 

Ingredients

Mouth-watering beef empanadas

 Crust:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt  
2 tablespoons cold lard
1 egg
1/2 cup milk, plus additional for brushing the pastry

Filling:
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons lard
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup dark or golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped green or black olives

Instructions

To make the crust, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the lard and crumble between your fingers to combine. In a small bowl, beat the egg, add the milk, and add both to the flour mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 8 parts, form the parts into balls, and roll the balls out on a floured surface into 3- to 4-inch circles, each about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside.

To make the filling, combine the onions and ground beef in a large bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons lard, paprika, and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until well mixed. Let stand a minute, then pour the lard over the meat mixture. Add the cumin, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Let cool completely.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling and preheat to 400 degrees F.

To form the empanadas, place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling onto each dough round; divide evenly and add to each round the hard-boiled egg, raisins, and olives.

Wet the edges of the dough with cold water. Fold each round in half over the filling, sealing with the tines of a fork; brush with milk.

Transfer the pastries to a sheet pan, place on the barbecue over indirect heat for 20 minutes, turning several times so the pastry doesn’t burn, until the empanadas are just turning brown on the edges. Remove from barbecue and serve.

Garlic Cheese

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Called pikantny syr (spicy cheese) in Russian, this is a popular appetizer in Siberia and the Russian Far East. This recipe and others can be found in the article Siberian Hot Stuff By Sharon Hudgins

Ingredients

1/2 pound (8 ounces) medium-sharp white cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Emmentaler cheese, finely shredded
1/4 cup pure sour cream (containing no additives)
1/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise
8 to 10 large garlic cloves, put through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or hot paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Toss the shredded cheeses by hand in a large bowl. Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, pressed garlic, hot pepper (optional), and salt in a small bowl, then add to the cheese, stirring to mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (and preferably overnight) to let the flavors meld. Let the cheese mixture come to room temperature before serving. Use as a stuffing for small firm ripe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, as a topping for baked potatoes, or as a spread for dark bread.