Serve these caramelized onions in place of the creamed ones that grace many holiday tables. These too are sweet, but also hot and lower in fat and won’t fill you up! Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

• 5 tablespoons brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground habanero chile

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 6 medium yellow onions, cut in half lengthwise, with papery outer skin left intact

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, add the vinegar along with 1 ½ cups water and whisk to combine. Add the sugar, salt, chile, and pepper and mix well.

Pour the marinade into a deep glass or ceramic baking pan. Arrange onion halves, cut-side down, in marinade and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the onions, uncovered, for approximately 1 hour, or until cut side of onions have glazed a dark brown.

The “colorado” here refers to the red color of the chile rather than the state of the same name. These potatoes are commonly served in place of hash browns at breakfast as well as at lunch and dinner. They are especially tasty when made with new potatoes because of their creamy texture and taste. Substitute chopped green New Mexico chile for Papas con Chile Verde. If using new potatoes, double the number of potatoes.

This recipe appeared in the article Chile-Spiced Brunch Ideas for Mother’s Day on the Burn! Blog.

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons crushed red New Mexico chile, seeds included

• 2 large potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, diced

• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic until they soften and start to brown. Remove them from the heat to a bowl and add the chile to the skillet. Sauté for one minute and add to the onion mixture.

Toss the potatoes with the onion mixture until they’re well coated and place them in a baking pan. Bake the potatoes for 40 minutes, or until they are tender.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the potatoes and serve.

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

Mascarene Chile Cuisine

 

By Dave DeWitt

Ingredients

• 2 cups dal (dried split peas)

• 2 red or green jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, minced

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

• ½ teaspoon powdered cumin

• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Wash the dal in a colander, then place it in a bowl and cover with three times as much volume of water. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. Drain the dal and place half of it in a blend and process to a fine consistency. Remove from the blender with a spatula and place in a bowl. Place the remaining dal in a blender and process to a medium consistency. Remove to the same bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and mix well

Form the mixture into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter.

Heat the oil in a pan until hot and deep fry the balls until they are golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Serve them hot