[CH] Hot stuff: Add spice to your Valentine's Day withthis fiery menu

lipant@sympatico.ca

This was originally on Simply-Sides by Jamie R.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Jamie R
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Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:01 PM
Subject: [Simply-Sides] Hot stuff: Add spice to your Valentine's Day 
withthis fiery menu

Springfield News-Leader

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009

Hot stuff: Add spice to your Valentine's Day with this fiery menu

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all about sweet stuff.

Maybe this year, it's time to pour in a little hot sauce to spice up
to the celebration.

Chili products -- fresh, dried, ground or otherwise -- are so popular
these days that Eric Shultz, the brand manager for Pace salsas, told
McClatchy newspapers his company had a 23 percent New Year's sales
gain compared with New Year's 2008.

Some people are even calling spicy fare the new comfort food.

We asked Julie Riffle of Palmetto Pepper Potions (a South
Carolina-based line of hot sauces) to develop a spicy menu for
Saturday night. (See pepperpotions.com for information about the line
of hot sauces.)

Her appetizer-to-dessert menu features varying degrees of heat
(except for the salad).

Some of her hints for preparing the meal:

For the entree (baked bay scallops), be sure to use fresh bread
crumbs and real butter for the right texture.

Put the scallop dish in the oven while you prepare the rest of the
meal. The dessert can be made ahead if you prefer to dip the
strawberries in the dark chocolate and let them set before serving.

The agave nectar adds the right touch of sweetness to balance the
dark chocolate in the dessert drizzle. It is important to start with
just a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon, so the spices don't overwhelm
the chocolate. Used in small amounts, they add a rich layer of flavor.

-- Megan Sexton

RED HOT

Facts about hot sauce and peppers:

The burning feeling from chili peppers comes from a collection of
compounds called capsaicinoids.

When hot sauce is consumed, the body's common reaction is to sweat,
particularly on the forehead. The scientific term for this reaction
is gustatory perspiration.

Capsaicin irritates the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and
stomach, releasing the chemical messenger "Substance P." This
stimulates the brain to produce endorphins, natural painkillers that
give the body a sense of well-being.

Capsaicin gives chili peppers their heat and is concentrated in the
veins of the fruit.

If your mouth feels like it's on fire, don't drink water. Capsaicin
is an oil and does not mix with the water. Instead of soothing your
pain, the water will only distribute the capsaicin to more parts of
your mouth.

Many people experience an aphrodisiac-like effect when eating hot peppers.

In general, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it is. All of the
world's hottest peppers are less than 3 inches long.

Guinness World Records lists the "Red Savina" habanero as the hottest
pepper in the world. It measured a whopping 577,000 Scoville Units, a
heat-measuring scale.

The ancient Mayans rubbed chili peppers on their gums to treat toothaches.

One out of every four people throughout the world eats chili peppers daily.

SOURCE: hotsauce101.com

Roasted red pepper and pecan pesto
2 servings

1/2 cup pecans

1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained

3-4 large fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons hot sauce*

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Toast pecans in a dry iron skillet over medium heat, stirring
frequently with a spatula for about 3 minutes. Remove pecans from pan
and set aside.

Place drained roasted red peppers, basil leaves, olive oil, lemon
juice, sea salt, pecans and hot sauce in a food processor. Pulse
several times, leaving mixture slightly chunky. Serve pesto with pita
chips.

(Tip: This pesto can be made ahead of time. Just chop the pecans
after toasting and keep them separate while you process the rest of
the ingredients. Then, stir them in just before serving.)

* Palmetto Pepper Potions' Trenholm Venom hot sauce is recommended.

-- From Julie Riffle, Palmetto Pepper Potions

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories, 357; calories from fat, 300; total fat, 33.3 grams;
saturated fat, 3.6 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; sodium, 786
milligrams; total carbohydrates, 15.8 grams; dietary fiber, 4.7
grams; sugars, 9.6 grams; protein, 4.2 grams. Provides 102 percent
daily value vitamin A; 509 percent vitamin C; 4 percent calcium; 9
percent iron.

SOURCE: caloriecount.about.com. Information is meant only as a guide.

Spinach Salad with clementine vinaigrette
2 servings

8-10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 clementines or tangerines, peeled and sectioned, with all seeds removed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 pickling cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitos)

Clementine vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of two fresh clementines or tangerines
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (minced) or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all salad ingredients except pumpkin seeds in a large salad
bowl. Set salad aside and begin making dressing.

For the vinaigrette, stir Dijon mustard into fresh citrus juice.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil, streaming in a little at a time, and
blend it with the juice mixture until well blended.

Add tarragon, salt and pepper and mix well with whisk. Set aside
until ready to serve salad.

Just before serving, whisk dressing again and then pour over spinach salad.

Add toasted pumpkin seeds and toss the salad ingredients.

-- From Julie Riffle, Palmetto Pepper Potions

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories, 260; calories from fat, 79; total fat, 8.8 grams; saturated
fat, 1.7 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; sodium, 97 milligrams;
total carbohydrates, 42.7 grams; dietary fiber, 9.2 grams; sugars,
26.8 grams; protein, 10.5 grams. Provides 226 percent daily value
vitamin A; 233 percent vitamin C; 22 percent calcium; 36 percent iron.

SOURCE: caloriecount.about.com. Information is meant only as a guide.

Baked bay scallops
2 servings

1/2 loaf fresh Italian bread

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 pint fresh bay scallops (drained and dried on paper towels)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Hot sauce*

Tear bread into chunks and process in food processor to make coarse
crumbs. Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and set aside.

Spray an 8- by 8-inch or 7- by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish
with cooking spray. Put scallops in a single layer in the bottom of
the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Top with bread crumbs. Pour cream over scallops.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

* Palmetto Pepper Potions' Larynx Lava hot sauce is recommended.

-- From Julie Riffle, Palmetto Pepper Potions

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories, 803; calories from fat, 540; total fat, 60 grams; saturated
fat, 36.5 grams; cholesterol, 238 milligrams; sodium, 1,059
milligrams; total carbohydrates, 24 grams; dietary fiber, 0.9 grams;
sugars, 1.6 grams; protein, 41.8 grams. Provides 39 percent daily
value vitamin A; 12 percent vitamin C; 14 percent calcium; 11 percent
iron.

SOURCE: caloriecount.about.com. Information is meant only as a guide.

Dark chocolate sizzle drizzle
2 servings

1 bar of fine dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content*
1/4 cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons blue agave nectar (light, mild taste)**

Break chocolate bar into pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl.

Add half and half. Heat chocolate and half and half at 30-second
intervals, stirring after each interval until chocolate is melted,
approximately 90 seconds.

When chocolate is melted, stir with fork until glossy and smooth. Add
sea salt, cayenne, cinnamon and agave nectar. Stir until smooth.

Taste and add another pinch of cayenne if more heat is desired. Serve
drizzled over fresh strawberries, over ice cream or in an espresso
cup with a spoon. Makes about 1 1/2 cup.

* Green & Black's Organic chocolate is recommended.

** Sweet Cactus Farms' nectar is recommended. It is available at
Rosewood Market.

-- From Julie Riffle, Palmetto Pepper Potions

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories, 369; calories from fat, 164; total fat, 18.2 grams;
saturated fat, 12.5 grams; cholesterol, 23 milligrams; sodium, 183
milligrams; total carbohydrates, 47.7 grams; dietary fiber, 1.8
grams; sugars, 25.6 grams; protein, 4.7 grams. Provides 5 percent
daily value vitamin A; 1 percent vitamin C; 13 percent calcium; 8
percent iron.

SOURCE: caloriecount.about.com. Information is meant only as a guide.

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