Friday, August 7, 2009

Jalapeno Hot Sauce



Today was one of those days when I wanted to make something Mexican. I decided to see if I could make my own jalapeno sauce. After making the harissa successfully a few months ago I thought I would try another pepper sauce. This was very easy to make and didn’t involve much babysitting.

The ultimate heat level will depend on how hot your peppers are and if you leave the seeds in our not. We like heat so I left the seeds and ribs in the peppers. I also started with some of the hottest jalapenos I have ever had. I think the dry weather here caused the heat level of the local peppers to increase this year.

I checked the ingredients on the Tabasco brand of jalapeno sauce and used that as a starting point. Unlike the Tabasco, my sauce has more jalapenos that vinegar, so it is spicier than the original. I also added garlic (it is an Italian thing), onion and cumin for a more complex flavor. This sauce is spicy but complex. I can’t wait to make a few Mexican recipes now to use this sauce.

Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Makes 10 ounces - 35 tablespoons

Ingredients:

10 jalapenos, destemmed and minced
1 green onion, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon of canola oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of onion flakes
1 cup of water
¼ cup of white vinegar
¼ cup of water

Directions:

Place jalapenos, green onion, garlic, canola oil, cumin, onion flakes and 1 cup of water in a stainless steel pot. Simmer over low heat until water has mostly evaporated. This will take 10 – 15 minutes. Place jalapeno mixture into a blender with the white vinegar and ¼ cup of water and puree until it is completely smooth. Pour the jalapeno sauce in a bottle with a lid and refrigerate until needed.

Nutritional Information (per tablespoon):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 3.09
Calories From Fat (27%) - 0.85

Total Fat - 0.1g
Saturated Fat - 0.01g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 0.35mg
Potassium - 14.71mg
Total Carbohydrates - 0.56g
Fiber - 0.14g
Sugar - 0.17g
Protein - 0.1g

Comments:

This sauce is spicier than I anticipated. I think it will be great in guacamole, or anything Mexican. I can also imagine different variations of salad dressing with a little heat in the background. This is going to be fun to play around with. Expect to see a few recipes with this in the coming weeks.

If you aren’t familiar with working with fresh peppers there are a few things you should know. You can use gloves to handle the peppers, if you are sensitive. Also, be certain to clean the cutting board and knifes well after making this sauce. When the peppers are cooking they will give off an airborne heat. Don’t put your nose over the pan. I made the sauce on a day when I had the windows open, and I was glad I had. The stainless steel pot was specified above to make it easier to clean.

13 comments:

  1. yes i read the harrisa recipe and was impressed, it sounds so expensive and sophisticated. you have the cutest crockery and bottles!

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  2. dirtyduck,

    The harissa was ridiculously easy to make, as was the jalapeno sauce. If you like hot stuff you should try them.

    Most of my crockery is Italian. I have a seriously unhealthy obsession with Deruta Ceramica. Thanks for the noticing it. If you have a Marshalls or Home Goods near you they frequently have Deruta Ceramics at both places for reasonable prices.

    Alicia

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  3. :) thanks so much for always getting back, i got your email and thought it was really nice and sweet, you really made my day better. i was telling my mom and my husband about the seiten or was it wheat gluten (are those the same thing? its late my brain isnt working)that you made in the pressure cooker and what your pictures look like. it looks like you could put that loggy thing int a meat slicer. today i made more muffins and i also made some cookies with protein powder. they were gross. i mean not to bad but i need to try again. the muffins were yummy though.i took pics but itll take me awhile to get them on here

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  4. dirtyduck,

    It is good to hear the email made your day.

    Seitan and wheat meat are the same name for two items made with wheat gluten. You probably could put it in a meat slicer. I don't have one so I haven't tried that. I slice it thinly with a serrated knife.

    Are you having difficulty eating enough protein that you using protein powder? I find that we get enough from the beans, seitan and tofu. Have you looked at any of the "Clean Eating" books. I wasn't specifically looking for recipes with protein powder but I bet she has a few in her books.

    Alicia

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  5. i have always believed that protein is not that hard to get. i think that most ppl get enough and maybe more than you need. lately i know that i have not been getting enough though. practically none. i have been a bad vegetarian girl, lol. for the last couple weeks lil hasnt been laying any eggs(sometimes they take mini breaks) and i dont think that rice with beans( a complete protein) is cutting it. i also think i need the amino acid support that comes with powders(fer my sweet ocd problem lol). please note..:) i have been up till now a STAUNCH believer that you can get enough protein, and protein powder grosses me out. but i really do think i need some extra support. i think i have wheat gluten here at the house i think i my just go ahead and try making it again. yours just looks sooo good all the time! ttyl!

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  6. dirtyduck,

    I have an idea for a nut and fruit truffle I was going to work on today. You would should be able to add protein powder to that. I am being lazy this morning so I haven't gotten started on it yet. As soon as I work out the details I will get the recipe posted.

    Alicia

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  7. oh thats a good idea, i will take a second look.

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  8. Wow. The hot sauce looks and sounds delicious. I will have to give this a try. I like anything spicy. I love your blog.

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  9. twoveganboys,

    The hot sauce was really easy to make and turned out quite spicy (since I included the seeds and ribs). Since you like spicy check out my harissa recipe. It is just a easy and definitely spicy.

    thanks for the feedback,
    Alicia

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  10. I love this idea. I got an immersion blender and I cannot wait to make this.

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  11. Health Junkie,

    If you include the seeds this is much hotter than you may expect. I only use a little bit at a time.

    Alicia

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  12. iam with you Alicia
    If you include the seeds this is much hotter than you may expect. I only use a little bit at a time.

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  13. wahabe,

    I was a bit surprised when I first tasted this how hot it is. A little definitely goes a long way. I found myself adding it to guacamole everytime I make it. It lasts a long time in the refrigerator too.

    Ali

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