Putting the Heat on Thanksgiving Dinner

Surprise out-of-town guests this Thanksgiving by serving recipes spiked with enchanting and spicy-hot chile pepper pods.

Food Network Chef Emeril Lagassi may kick up his recipes a notch or two,” but diehard chileheads are known to kick them up at least by three!

Happy Thanksgiving, East Valley!

Pepper Pod Turkey Stuffing

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine
• 2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 5 large gloves garlic, minced
• 2 (4-ounce) cans diced medium-hot green chile peppers, drained(or substitute fresh)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mild red pepper powder (optional)
• 8 cups dried whole-wheat or white- bread cubes
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 16-pound turkey, thawed

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees F. To prepare stuffing, heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic and cook until crisp-tender.

Stir in the chile peppers, parsley, salt, and red pepper powder. In a large bowl, combine the cooked mixture with the bread cubes and cheese. Add enough broth to moisten and toss to combine.

Prepare the turkey for roasting, lightly stuffing the neck and body cavities. Roast the stuffed turkey according to the package directions or a turkey-roasting recipe.

Let the turkey stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Serve with cranberry salsa. (Recipe below.)

Serrano-Orange Cranberry Salsa
Sliced turkey slathered with cranberry salsa is a refreshing alternative to traditional gravy. Cranberry salsa also tastes good on mashed potatoes.

Mix together:

• 2 tablespoons orange peel
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, and minced
• 1 chile serrano, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• Salad oil to taste (optional)

Most Americans associate cranberries with Thanksgiving. The origin of the name cranberry is obscure, apart from the dubious suggestion that cranes eat the berries.
—Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press: Oxford] 1999 (p. 223)

Chile Pepper Sauce “Gravy”

• 10 chile peppers (jalapeños, serranos, yellow wax or a combination)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 medium onions, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Split fresh peppers length-wise, remove seeds and stems (I use a grapefruit spoon), wash thoroughly.  Purée peppers into a smooth paste in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, add oil and sauté garlic and onion for about 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add peppers and dilute with hot water until desired degree of hotness is reached. Thicken to a gravy-like consistency with the flour, mixing to a smooth paste with cold water. Serve over turkey or mashed potatoes.

Sweet Heat Turkey Glaze

• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon each salt and crushed black pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate several hours to meld flavors. Use as a glaze the last 20 to 30 minutes of roasting turkey. This recipe is also terrific for marinating grilled meat such as pork or chicken. Marinate meat for 2 to 3 hours before grilling.

Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread Pudding Serves 8

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 4 ears of fresh sweet corn, kernels removed
• 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups cornbread, crumbled
• 8 ounces jalapeño jack cheese, shredded, approximately 2 cups
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced or chopped. More if desired.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add onions and corn to skillet. Sauté until the onions are translucent, approximately 8-10 minutes. Stir in eggs, cream, cornbread, and one cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with diced or sliced jalapeños. Place pan in a water bath*. Bake approximately 1 hour or until firm. Cut into squares and serve.

*Water bath: Place pan in a large, shallow pan of warm water. The French refer to this technique as bain marie.

Spicy Hot Pumpkin Flan
I’m not certain where I got this recipe but it’s a delicious substitute to traditional pumpkin pie.

• 1 (16 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder or to taste
• 1/2teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and spices in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until melted and golden brown. (Mixture will be hot.) Carefully pour sugar into eight 4-ounce ramekins*. Place ramekins in 15X11-inch baking dish and fill each cup with pumpkin mixture.

Pour hot water into pan until filled half way up sides of cups. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool. Run knife around edges of each cup to loosen. Invert onto individual serving plates.

Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl with electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Garnish each flan with whipped cream mixture.

*Ramekins are individual baking dishes about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and resemble a miniature soufflé dish.

Sunny Conley is an award-winning author, writer, editor and desktop publisher, specializing in Southwest cuisine, culture and business. Since 1994, Sunny’s columns and features have appeared in national and regional magazines and newspapers, and on the Internet. For more information, visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyconley or write sunnyc@evliving.com 

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