Spicing It Up! What floats your spicy boat?

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kennysrush
kennysrush Posts: 124
in Health and Weight Loss
Have to say I'm addicted to the heat and try to spice up most of our meals. I am addicted to Silver Spring Habanero Mustard - it's sodium is in acceptable levels and packs good heat. I also add cayenne pepper to many of my recipes. I've decided to avoid jarred jalapenos due to the high sodium, but thinking there's got to be a way to prepare them at home without the sodium. Does anybody have suggestions for this or other spicy additions?

If you like spice as well, what spins your wheels?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
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    Jarred jalapeños are usually pickled jalapeños so the act of pickling will always kick the sodium up. Try putting sliced fresh jalapeños on your food though. It tends to add more heat and I like the flavor better.

    I've started cooking my lentils with chili powder and garlic powder to give them a kick. Really delicious.
  • snakegoddess_3
    snakegoddess_3 Posts: 83
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    I LOVE heat in just about anything. I once dryed jalapenos and added it to a chex mix but I'm sure you can add it to popcorn and it would do the same. Add crunch and heat. I even put them in hummus and jerky
  • KLo924
    KLo924 Posts: 379 Member
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    I am a spice addict!!! I especially love thai curries. Curry paste has SO much sodium, though, so I've been cutting down.

    I made homemade pico de gallo for a salad last week that was pretty good - chopped tomatoes, onion (I used what, but whatever), and serrano peppers. I cut up some yellow corn tortillas and baked them in the oven to go with (on top of the salad, but you could totally cut them into dipping size) and that was awesome.

    I do a lot of pastas, too (probably too many) and almost every one starts with some garlic and chili flakes or chopped hot peppers of one sort or another sauteed in olive oil.

    Basically I sneak chili flakes or chopped hot peppers into everything I can think of :)

    *edit: Also, Sabra has a really great spicy hummus called, aptly enough, Supremely Spicy Hummus. It is amazing - really great with carrots, whole wheat pita chips, whatever.
  • witheredorchid
    witheredorchid Posts: 164 Member
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    I like to shop at mocal ethnic food stores. We found an amazing habenro hot sauce and chili sauces.
  • nikkiij
    nikkiij Posts: 3
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    I use Chipotle seasoning in my scrambled eggs instead of salt and pepper.
  • kennysrush
    kennysrush Posts: 124
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    Love the suggestions so far... keep them up! :)
  • Winged_Victory
    Winged_Victory Posts: 58
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    I often shop at Trader Joe's and you can't buy one or two jalapenos there, you have to buy a box of 10-20 of them. (Their produce section makes me kind of crazy sometimes).

    I put fresh jalapenos chopped up in salads. I put jalapenos in curry. I put jalapenos in pasta sauce. I put jalapenos in stir fry. I put jalapenos in Potatoes O'Brien. I put jalapenos on pizza... jalapenos, jalapenos, jalapenos in everything!

    I didn't get any this week though so I sprinkled some Tabasco in my spaghetti sauce :-D
  • kaytedawg05
    kaytedawg05 Posts: 209
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    ground red pepper on ...everything!
    fresh cracked black pepper
    and...
    this chinese style hot sauce.. the one w the rooster on it lol yum.. it goes on all my sandwiches!
  • bentobee
    bentobee Posts: 321 Member
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    If you like almonds you need to try the Blue Diamond dry roasted smokehouse Jalepeno almonds! They are soooooo good. The spicy kick is deeeelicious!
    They are hard to find, I can only find them at one grocery store - but well worth the hunt!
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
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    Ok so one of my splurge snacks is stuffed cherry peppers.

    Hollow out a cherry pepper (fresh or jarred) roll 1/4 of a slice of provalone cheese with a 1" wide strip of low fat deli ham, stuff it in the pepper and add a little balsamic vinaigrette over it and viola, spicy savory, cheesy yum!! I could go for some now but it's late.. LOL

    Fresh jalapenos stuffed with a little light cream cheese, with some turkey bacon, baked for a few minutes to soften the peppers are also an amazing appetizer for a group.

    I love fresh jalapenos in just about everything.. especially when I was eating hot dogs a lot.. bacon, jalapenos and onions...

    I'm nuts for the smokey tobasco sauce, add it to just about everything, especially chicken fajitas.
  • kennysrush
    kennysrush Posts: 124
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    Thanks again! Has anyone ever grilled or steamed jalapenos for cutting up in future dishes? Do they only keep if they're pickled or raw?
  • wonnder1
    wonnder1 Posts: 460
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    pshaw...you Americans. Jalapenos...it's like the chocolate bar of heat.

    (I am just kidding.)

    I get Thai birds eye chilis dried. You can buy a giant bag for about a buck. They keep forever. If you don't like the seeds, cause they are seriously hot, put them in cheesecloth and cook them with whatever. I always put one in cheesecloth in the pasta water when I cook noodles, gives the noodles something noone expects.
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
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    You can fire roast them and eat them; or you can chop them up and add to several recipes. I like to stuff beef or pork roast with everything. i.e., bellpeppers, onions, garlic and yes jalapenos. I love spicy and add cayenne to many dishes just for the kick it gives food, besides it's good for blood circulation.
  • h3h8m3
    h3h8m3 Posts: 455 Member
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    I just add crushed red pepper to stuff.
  • healthyjen342
    healthyjen342 Posts: 1,435 Member
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    putting this one in my back pocket...Lots of great suggestions so far!
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I have crushed red pepper and add some to most of my meals.

    Previous years I grew Scotch Bonnet (habanero) peppers and I've froze them as well as dried some of them.

    This year I'm going to try and grow. Jalapeno, Banana, Scotch Bonnet, and regular peppers.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Cayenne pepper!
  • ktubbs2109
    ktubbs2109 Posts: 3
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    extra spicy Mrs. Dash- it's sodium free!! I add it to everything!
  • kennysrush
    kennysrush Posts: 124
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    Thanks friends!
  • kaytedawg05
    kaytedawg05 Posts: 209
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    pshaw...you Americans. Jalapenos...it's like the chocolate bar of heat.

    (I am just kidding.)

    I get Thai birds eye chilis dried. You can buy a giant bag for about a buck. They keep forever. If you don't like the seeds, cause they are seriously hot, put them in cheesecloth and cook them with whatever. I always put one in cheesecloth in the pasta water when I cook noodles, gives the noodles something noone expects.

    sounds fantastic

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