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Tomatillo Salad with Ancho Chiles
“Tomatillos are covered in a paper-like husk. Simply peel off the husk and rinse off the sticky stuff.”
photo courtesy of peace and love in the kitchen
Ingredients:
– 1 cup chopped & peeled cucumber
– 3-4 large tomatillos, chopped
– 1 1/2 ounces chihuahua cheese, coarsely cut
– 2 medium Ancho pepper, seeded and sliced into long thin strips
– 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
– 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
– 1 fresh lime,
– salt
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large wooden bowl. Lightly salt to taste. Let stand for 5-10 minutes in order for flavors to meld. Serve immediately if possible or cover and refrigerate for no more than 2 hours.
Serves 3-4
Spicy Sweetcorn Recipe…thanks to a friend
We found this one on [the chili up north blog] on Aug.09, 2011
We’ve been roasting corn on the cobs for the last few years at Pepperfest, and you can expect to find lots of spicy corn this year as well. here is another great method for cooking corn.
From Chili up north blog…”How long you cook the sweetcorn for will depend on the size of your sweetcorn and how hot your pan is. There is a very similar recipe in the Mexican Food Made Simple book too.
Ingredients
- 1 Corn on the cob per person.
- Small knob of butter, per person.
- Pinch of paprika per person
- Pinch of chilli powder or chilli flakes per person.
- Pinch of lime zest per person
- Teaspoon of lime juice per person.
- Salt and pepper
- Heat your griddle pan up so it’s smoking hot, place corn on and cook until it goes golden and shiny or starts to pop, keep turning so that it’s cooked all round.
- Melt the butter in another pan and add the chilli, paprika, lime zest and lime juice and a little salt and pepper, stir well.
- Once the corn is cooked drizzle the butter over the corn and enjoy.”
Recipe: Prime Rib of Bison Fajitas, with Three-Chile Rub

Darn Hot Bison Fajitas
We recommend North American Bison, check out Bison Bluff Farms right here in Cobden Illinois. Run by Clifton and Kim Howell, Bison Bluff Farms has over 350 Bison roaming on more than 1000 acres.
Ingredients:
– 1 8lb Bison Prime Rib.
– 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
– 2 cups beef stock
– 1 cup red table wine)
– 2-3 fresh organic tomatoes
– 1 fresh head of romaine lettuce
– fresh flour tortillas
Three Chile Rub:
– 3 tablespoons Darn Hot Peppers ground poblano chile
– 2 teaspoons Darn Hot Peppers ground chile de arbol
– 2 teaspoons Darn Hot Peppers ground mirasol chile
– 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred
– 1 teaspoons sea salt
– 1 teaspoon Darn Hot Peppers Herb Shaker
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw for 1 hour before roasting. Using a knife, poke small holes in the meat and insert the garlic into them. Coat roast with three chile rub to taste. Place in a large roasting pan, bone side down. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease heat to 350 and roast for 1 hour for medium-rare. Remove and place on a cutting board to rest. Place roasting pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add the wine and beef broth cook 10 minutes, stirring and scraping up any brown bits and reduce by half. Salt to taste. Slice meat and pour on some of the reduction.
Slice prime rib in thin strips and garnish w/ tomatoes, lettuce and tortillas and serve as the perfect plate of Southern Illinois Fajitas
Serves 4-5
How make “Darn Hot” Thai Scallops
Seared “Darn Hot” Thai Scallops
Ingredients:
– 8 large scallops
– 1 fresh lime or lemon
Sauce:
– 1 shallot
– 2-3 cloves garlic
– 2 tbl fish sauce
– 1/8 tsp star anise, crushed to a powder
– 1 tsp Darn Hot Peppers Thai Spice
– 1 tsp brown sugar
– 4 tbs good-quality coconut milk
Other:
– 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional coconut milk
– 1/2 cup canola oil for frying
Serves 4
Preparation:
-Place all grilling sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender.
-Process well to form a thick grilling sauce.
-Place 2-3 tbs of the paste in a mixing bowl.
-Add the scallops and gently stir, so that scallops are covered with sauce.
-Set aside.
-Pour 2-3 tbs canola or other oil into a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
-When the oil is hot, add the rest of the sauce.
-Stir-fry the paste until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
-Add 1/4 cup coconut milk to the sauce and stir.
-Cook two minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, add the scallops.
-Cook scallops by stirring and turning them in sauce.
-Check the inner scallop flesh after 3 minutes to see if they are cooked.
Tip: Scallops are done when inner flesh is no longer transparent. Serve with rice. Garnish with wedges of lime or lemon.
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