FOODIE FRIDAY: It’s Getting Hot In Here!

Time to spice things up! Did you know that eating spicy food may actually be good for you? Music to my ears cause this spicy girl, like’s it hot! I have never been able to wear khaki pants, they just don’t work on my Gilbert quads (given to me by my amazing father…love you dad, I promise to use them for good and not evil). Khaki pants bore me…as does bland food. I want my mouth to have a little dance with every bite and ain’t nobody dancing with boiled potatoes and chicken. So, its all about the additions you make to give your food some character. Toast gets a little happier when you spread mascarpone cheese and fig butter on it. Now, it’s moonwalking!

So, peppers have varying levels of spice to them. If you really can’t handle the spice, then choose something more mild (anaheim, poblano, hungarian wax peppers or ancho chilies). Or, become a chili taster and get paid for burning up the inside of your mouth. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have this describe your work,

“There’s a massive endorphin rush, and I feel really good after all the pain and craziness,” he said. “My body starts tingling all over, my hands and arms start to go numb, and I sometimes get lightheaded and euphoric. It feels good.” (Ted Barus told Good Morning America)

Oh, wait, we are endurance athletes, that does describe part of our work. So, man up and eat some chilis!

Need more convincing? Peppers contain capsaicin which may have the ability to ward off prostate cancer cells. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin. So, increase your cancer fighting powers and go for the hot stuff like jalapenos (moderately hot), habaneros, chipotles, and serranos. Mix them all together for a rocking salsa and call it a day! Enjoy!

Jamie’s Roasted Poblano Salsa Recipe

Instructions:

Rub a little olive oil on the peppers and place them on a baking sheet. Place in a 425 degree oven for approx 15 minutes. Check the peppers every 5 minutes or so to turn them. You want the skin to turn black (not completely charred), but you are roasting the peppers. I have a VitaMix blender that can blend anything, plus I like the charred taste the skin of the peppers gives the salsa, so I do NOT peel the peppers after they are roasted. If you do not have a powerful blender or you prefer to mix your salsa in a food processor, I would take the skins off the peppers. You will need to place the peppers in a glass or stainless bowl and cover with saran wrap. Let them steam for about 10 minutes and then you can peel the skin right off the peppers. You want to take the stems and seeds off the peppers and then roughly chop them (I also like the heat, so I leave the seeds and veins on some of the serrano and jalapeno peppers.

28oz can of whole tomatoes (I prefer san marzano tomatoes, such good flavor!), I use about 1/4 cup of the liquid as well, you may want to use more tomatoes. We love the strong chili flavor…..i.e. spice!

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic

Large handful of cilantro (about half of the bunch), roughly chopped just to help the blender out a bit juice of 2-3 limes, depending on how juicy they are salt and pepper(sometimes I put cumin, coriander, granulated garlic and smoked paprika, maybe 1/2 tsp of each)

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until everything is combined. Make sure you let it go long enough to get the onions chopped up.

Thanks for joining me on another Foodie Friday! Food is a constant journey that takes you to new places… & I love being part of your journey.

~ Jamie