Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

I keep reading recipes that call for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce but could never find them… until I went to Van’s and was checking out the Ethnic Food section - they have all kinds of wonderful things I haven’t tried in that section, including Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce!
Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños. Adobo is a tangy, slightly sweet red sauce. Use just the chipotles for intense smoky chile heat or just the sauce for a sour-sweet flavor and a slightly less fiery smoky heat.
The chipotles are soft and ready to go straight from the can. They can be quite spicy, but the heat can be tempered a bit by scraping out the seeds.
To store them, transfer unused chiles and sauce to an airtight container—preferably glass, as the sauce tends to stain plastic—and refrigerate for about a month. Or try freezing individual chiles in an ice cube tray and then transfer the cubes to a zip-top freezer bag. Frozen, they’ll keep for about three months.
Next step was to locate some of those recipes that I had seen so I could try them out.

BBQ Chicken Tostadas

1 1/2 cups Mild Salsa
1 cup light ranch dressing
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce -minced
1 (28 oz.) can refried beans - heated
6 tostados
6 cups Romaine lettuce - chopped
2 cups jicama - julienne cut
2 cups radishes
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup whole kernel corn
6 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts - grilled and thinly sliced
salted pepitas - about 6 Tablespoons (roasted pumpkin seeds)
1. In bowl, combine salsa and ranch dressing.
2. In small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and chipotle peppers.
3. Spread 1/4 cup refried beans over each tostada shell.
4. Top each tostada with lettuce, jicama, radishes, cheese and corn.
5. Top with chicken. Drizzle each tostada with salsa ranch dressing and chipotle barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with pepitas.

Salted Pepitas

(gimmesomeoven.com)

“pay-pee-tuhs”
The raw, hulled little green seeds (found inside the white ones)are the seed to use for Pepitas. Roast a few batches to have on hand for snacking or to throw in salads, granola, Chex mix and such. The seasoning options are endless.
pepitas (raw, hulled pumpkin seeds)
olive oil - melted butter or cooking spray(preferably olive oil)
salt
seasonings
Seasoning ideas:
salt
garlic salt
chili powder
lime juice
herbs de provence - (or Italian seasoning)
smoked paprika
cinnamon
chili powder
Worcestershire sauce + seasoned salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheet or line with aluminum foil.
In a bowl, mix pumpkin seeds with a small amount of olive oil (or butter, or lightly cover with cooking spray); use just enough oil so that they are just very lightly coated. Add salt and seasoning to taste, and mix so that seeds are fairly evenly coated.
Transfer seeds to cooking sheet, and bake for about 15-25 minutes (or until seeds are cooked and begin to lightly brown). Remove trays every 10 minutes to stir the seeds and check for doneness. Let cool and serve.
Tip: If you are just wanting to make a small batch of these (which is fun for experimenting with seasonings!), a toaster oven is a fantastic option for baking! Just be sure to stir them a little more frequently, as toaster ovens tend to bake slightly more unevenly.
Note: According to Wikipedia “There is a gender difference between “tostada” (feminine) and “tostado” (masculine), although they mean exactly the same.”

Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce

www.finecooking.com

This tart and tangy sauce is a twist on a classic Bloody Mary cocktail. Rim your serving dish with celery salt before serving, if you like. Yields a scant 2-1/4 cups.
Make-Ahead: Can be completely prepared ahead (may need reheating and a garnish to serve)
2 small lemons
1 small lime
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Heinz Chili sauce
2 heaping Tbs. prepared white horseradish - more to taste
2 Tbs. vodka
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. puréed canned chipotle chile in adobo - more to taste
1/8 tsp. celery salt - more to taste
Finely grate the zest from the lemons and then juice them. Juice the lime. In a nonreactive bowl, mix 3 Tbs. of the lemon juice, 2 Tbs. of the lime juice, and all of the zest with the ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, vodka, Worcestershire, chipotle, and celery salt until well combined.
The sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week. Add more horseradish, chipotle, lemon juice, or celery salt to taste before serving.
The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Chipotle Butter

www.finecooking.com

This butter is delicious on hamburgers, grilled pork tenderloin, and corn on the cob. Well-wrapped, it will keep in the freezer for up to a month. Yields about 8 tablespoons.
1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - completely softened at room temperature
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo - stemmed, seeded and minced
2 T. fresh lime juice
Scant tsp. ground cumin
1/2 t. kosher salt - more to taste
In a small bowl, cream the butter with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the chipotles, lime juice, cumin, and salt, blending until evenly incorporated. Taste and add more salt if needed. Using plastic wrap to shape and smooth, mold the butter into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap well in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator (or freezer, if you’re in a hurry) to firm.

Chipotle Chili

http://allrecipes.com

“The chipotle peppers give this slow cooker chili a subtle, smoky flavor. Add more minced chipotle peppers to taste. Serve with sour cream, sharp Cheddar cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
2 pounds ground beef
5 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 large onion - diced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans - (optional)
2 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
Cook sausage and ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned and crumbly. When the meat has released its grease, and has begun to brown, drain off accumulated grease, and season with chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Cook and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chipotle peppers, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then pour the chili into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours. Stir in tomato paste an hour before the chili is done. Print this post