The $3.49 Trader Joe’s Find I Use Every Single Day

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Originally published by Simply Recipes on June 5th, 2024

Written By Maren Ellingboe King

 

It’s an easy way to add big flavor to every meal.

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

When I moved back home to Minneapolis in 2020, I knew that one of the things I would miss about living in the San Francisco Bay Area was the abundance of incredible Mexican food. You’re never more than a few minutes from a great taqueria, which is almost guaranteed to have a cold bar filled with an array of handmade salsas and pickled vegetables.

Luckily, there are several wonderful Mexican restaurants in the Twin Cities, though they aren’t located quite as close to home. So when the craving strikes for homemade tacos or quesadillas, I turn to this spicy Jalapeño Sauce from Trader Joe’s.

After trying it on a whim a couple of years ago, it quickly became an essential condiment that I keep on hand to liven up a wide variety of dishes, or even my favorite Mexican take-out meals.

Why I Love Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Sauce

Made mainly of jalapeños, this (vegan!) green sauce is an essential topping for burrito bowls, quesadillas, tamales, and even scrambled eggs in my house. I use it so much that I always have at least one backup bottle on hand. The flavor is bright, acidic, and spicy without overwhelming whatever you serve it with.

It’s an excellent imitation of the spicy salsa verde served at my favorite Bay Area taquerias. The silky smooth texture is creamy, and, though I eat dairy, this sauce is a great way to add a bit of richness to a dish without resorting to cheese or sour cream.

How I Use This Jalapeño Sauce

The wonderful thing about this sauce is its versatility! Though my husband and I use it often on dishes with Mexican flavors, it works well with many different kinds of dishes. One favorite application is drizzled over Trader Joe’s-inspired burrito bowls, using canned black beans, frozen brown rice, Mexican-Style Roasted Corn, carnitas, and a quick-pickled cabbage salad.

On busy weeknights, it’s a delicious topping for quick naan pizzas topped with shredded rotisserie chicken, roasted corn, mozzarella, and cilantro. For a fast, protein-packed breakfast, I pair it with avocado toast and a fried egg. I also love it with chicken shawarma or falafel sandwiches, as it adds a welcome kick. It even makes a good dipping sauce for tortilla chips, though I like it even better swirled into a bowl of homemade guacamole.

The Jalapeño Sauce does have a bit of a kick, but even my husband, who is generally not a fan of spicy foods, has declared it a must-have condiment, and it’s a nice contrast to peppery vinegar-based hot sauces like Cholula and Tabasco. At $3.49 per bottle, it’s well worth the shelf space in your refrigerator—and if you’re like me, once you try it, you’ll always need to have some on hand!

Salted Melon Salad With Jalapeños and Feta

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Originally published by Bon Appetit on May 21st, 2024

Written By SHILPA USKOKOVIC

 

Photograph By Peden + Munk, Food Styling By Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling By Ceci Garcia

Picking a perfectly ripe summer melon is like folding a fitted sheet—forever a struggle. Here’s a salad that can save even the most mediocre specimen. A simple combination of sharp shallot and hot green chile generously dressed with lemon, olive oil, and salt will transform that subpar fruit into something juicy and joy-inducing. Salty crumbles of feta help too. Instead of cantaloupe, try honeydew, Hami melon, or even ripe papaya or mango, which will also take brilliantly to this treatment.

Recipe information

  • TOTAL TIME

    25 minutes

  • YIELD

    4 servings

Ingredients

1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings

1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ small cantaloupe (about 1½ lb.), rind and seeds removed, cut into 3×1″ pieces

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

6 oz. feta, broken into large pieces

Flaky sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

Toss 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, 1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds, and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl to combine. Let sit 5–15 minutes to lightly pickle.

Step 2

Add ½ small cantaloupe (about 1½ lb.), rind and seeds removed, cut into 3×1″ pieces, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to shallot mixture and toss to combine. Let sit 5–10 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer salad to a large shallow bowl or platter and top with 6 oz. feta, broken into large pieces. Drizzle more oil over and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

20 Spicy Jalapeño Recipes That Go Way Beyond Poppers

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Originally published by Delish on May 30th,2023

Written By

PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

Has dinnertime gone too far to the mild side? Sounds like it’s time to spice up your life! Why not add some delicious heat to your favorite recipes by bringing jalapeños to the mix? Even if you’re not 100% ready to go on an episode of Hot Ones, jalapeños’ mellow heat will add the perfect bit of kick to your favorite classic recipes that could stand to get a touch of heat, like appetizers, a weeknight dinner, and even cocktails (we see all you spicy marg lovers). No matter how high your spice tolerance is, these jalapeño recipes will be instant crowd-pleasers (because no one can say no to a jalapeño popper).

Bell peppers get a lot of love here at Delish (and likely at yours too), but it’s time that perfectly potent jalapeños get their spotlight moment. Not too spicy but not too mild, jalapeños liven up salsa, nachos, and tacos. But it certainly doesn’t stop there. We’ve yet to run out of ways to build recipes around jalapeños rather than just use them as a last-minute topping. Case in point: Our recipes for strawberry jalapeño chicken and jalapeño citrus salmon would be nothing without that sweet heat.

If you, like us, are always that person at the table adding more hot sauce to your meal, we’ve got just the condiments for you. Spicy, salty, sweet, and tangy Cowboy Candy (candied jalapeños) is about to find itself in your Bloody Marys, migas, and grilled creamed corn. The same is absolutely true of our recipe for pickled peppers too (shout out to Peter Piper). Those are about to improve many sandwiches in your near future!

Strawberry-Jalapeño Chicken

Strawberry and jalapeño might seem like an odd combination of flavors, but the subtle tartness of the fresh strawberry combines with the fruity spice of the jalapeño and the smokiness of chipotle chiles for a match made in sweet heat heaven. Serve this with roasted sweet potatoes or wild rice for a satisfying, easy dinner that comes together in less than an hour.

Get the Strawberry-Jalapeño Chicken recipe.

Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas

Though classic margaritas are pretty perfect on their own, we think adding a little kick via fresh jalapeños makes them even better. Infusing alcohol is one of our favorite ways to get creative with cocktails, but it works especially well with jalapeños in this recipe. The addition of cucumber balances out the heat, making these margaritas the perfect summer drink to cool off with all summer long.

Get the Spicy Jalapeño Margaritas recipe.

Jalapeño Citrus Salmon

We love an easy oven baked salmon recipe. It takes very little effort and is a quick weeknight dinner that’s also good enough to serve at a dinner party. This citrus salmon has tons of flavor from simple ingredients. Here we used oranges and limes, but use lemons, grapefruits, or blood oranges if you have them. If you like things a little spicier, leave the seeds in the jalapeño.

Get the Jalapeño Citrus Salmon recipe.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño poppers are one of the easiest, most satisfying party apps. In this recipe, cream cheese and shredded pepper Jack are stuffed in the jalapeños before being wrapped in bacon (because everything is better with bacon). When cooked, the cheese gets hot and melty while the peppers mellow slightly, making it a perfect combo. The best part? This easy app is gluten-free and keto friendly, so you can satisfy a wide array of party guests!

Get the Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers recipe.

Brick Chicken

Roasted, deep-fried, stuffed, we’ve done it all. But brick chicken is one of our most simple and reliable ways to get tender, perfectly cooked chicken and that crispy skin we all crave. We paired this chicken with a delicious spicy, herby pan sauce made with jalapeño, lime, and cilantro, but you can serve this as is, with a couple squeezes of lemon or even BBQ sauce. The world is your oyster… or chicken!

Get the Brick Chicken recipe.

Jalapeño Popper Corn Fritters

Crispy golden corn fritters are filled with everything we love about spicy jalapeño poppers. These are studded with crispy bacon, jalapeños, cheddar, and cream cheese, which helps hold them all together. The sweet corn balances the spicy jalapeño for a perfect summer appetizer.

Get the Jalapeño Popper Corn Fritters recipe.

Salted and Spiced Watermelon Margaritas

Say hello to your new favorite summer cocktail: this refreshing, salted and spiced watermelon margarita. This clever recipe combines everything magical about margaritas (tequila, lime juice, triple sec, and a salt rim), with a kick of heat from the fresh jalapeños and refreshing sweetness from the watermelon juice. Salt accentuates watermelon’s sweet taste and accentuates the tangy margarita base. The lime zest rim is part sugar and part salt for a balanced twist on the original.

Get the Salted and Spiced Watermelon Margaritas recipe.

Fish Taco Bowls

When you’re craving the flavors and textures of a fish taco, but need some vegetables in your life, this salad is perfect for you. Crispy fish and a creamy, spicy slaw are the base of these veggie-packed takes on everyone’s favorite taco. This slaw alone is a great recipe to have in your back pocket. The dressing is creamy and gets a big punch from lime juice, lime zest, and jalapeño.

Get the Fish Taco Bowls recipe.

Loaded Campfire Nachos

We apologize to many a camping trip for not thinking of this idea sooner. Thanks to a handful of canned goods, these come together almost instantly.

Get the Loaded Campfire Nachos recipe.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Soup

Here at Delish, we’re pretty passionate about our jalapeño poppers. We’ve stuffed them inside chicken, turned them into taquitos, even reimagined them as egg cups, and now we’re using them to inspire this creamy soup. Loaded with shredded chicken and diced jalapeños and topped with cheddar and crispy bacon, it has everything we love most about the classic appetizer.

Get the Jalapeño Popper Chicken Soup recipe.

Pickled Peppers

Pickled peppers are a legendary sandwich topping and there can be so many types! From your classic banana peppers or pickled jalapeños to a sweet mix, it can be hard to decide. But now with this easy recipe, you can make your own blend or as many pickled peppers as you want! Peter Piper would be thrilled.

Get the Pickled Peppers recipe.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

Being a meaty, tender fish, mahi mahi stands up well to the grill and is even better when marinated. You could use a traditional citrus-oil mixture. But here we’ve used a mayo-based marinade that adds some richness and a ton of flavor that makes it resemble blackened fish that you might find in the South. Throw the fish on a tortilla with some spicy pineapple-jalapeño salsa, and you’ll have an amazing summer taco night. Though you may also want to whip up some frozen pineapple margaritas.

Get the Mahi Mahi Tacos recipe.

Bacon Jalapeño Corn Chowder

We already know that corn chowder is delicious (see our cheesy, easy corn chowder). But what we didn’t understand until recently is that it could get even better. Our favorite upgrades: bacon + jalapeño. The salty, porky flavors of the bacon and the spiciness from the jalapeño pair beautifully with sweet corn, and the resulting soup will change your view of corn chowder forever!

Get the Bacon Jalapeño Corn Chowder recipe.

Strawberry Jalapeño Mint Julep

Don’t let Derby Day be your only excuse to make these juleps; they’re worthy all year. If you’re into spicy margs then you’ll be able to handle the heat here; the jalapeño-infused simple syrup mellows out once it hits the cool mint and sweet berries. This recipe makes more simple syrup than you need, so save it in the fridge for your next cocktail!

Get the Strawberry Jalapeño Mint Julep recipe.

Jalapeño Popper Crisps

Our three favorite flavors: spicy, cheesy, and… bacon-y. Now they’re all in one convenient crisp, ready to take over your next party!

Get the Jalapeño Popper Crisps recipe.

Smoked Corn On The Cob

We don’t need to tell you that corn on the cob is nothing without butter. Rather than slather the ears with plain variety, you’ll make a quick compound butter flavored with garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño. If you want to be fancy, you can scrape the butter onto a piece of parchment or wax paper and roll it up into a log before really schmearing this all over pretty much everything this summer.

Get the Smoked Corn On The Cob recipe.

Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños)

Giddy up! Cowboy Candy (aka candied jalapeños) are spicy, tangy, salty, and sweet—the perfect condiment for topping everything from Bloody Marys to migas to grilled creamed corn. You could also chop Cowboy Candy and stir into pickle relish, tuck into a ham sandwich, or artfully arrange over a hot dog with chopped raw onion. The combination of fiery heat from the jalapeño and the nearly caramelized coating from the sugar is truly addictive.

Get the Cowboy Candy (Candied Jalapeños) recipe.

Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad

We love potato salad and can’t get enough of its creamy goodness during the summer. This jalapeño popper version takes things to a whole new level with a kick of heat. It’s a little spicy, but 100 percent worth it! Be sure to remove the seeds if you want your bite to be milder.

Get the Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad recipe.

Jalapeño Popper Cornbread

Let’s be honest: Everyone’s favorite part of jalapeño poppers is the cheesy, creamy filling (plus the bacon, of course). We decided to cut to the chase and transform the best parts of this classic Super Bowl appetizer into a super-cheesy, smoky party dip that’s so much easier to serve to a crowd. It gets a kick from the jalapeño, but paired with plenty of cheese, creamy components, and crispy bacon, even the heat-averse will keep coming back for more.

Get the Jalapeño Popper Cornbread recipe.

Pineapple Jalapeño Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Grilling a pork tenderloin may seem fancy, but it comes together super fast. Want to add even more flavor? You could grill your pineapple and jalapeños before chopping up into a grilled pineapple salsa.

Get the Pineapple Jalapeño Grilled Pork Tenderloin recipe.

Iced spice: are jalapeños really losing their heat?

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Originally published by The Guardian on March 15th, 2024

Written by

Jalapeños come in many varieties – but some are losing their heat. Photograph: Barbara Rich/Getty Images

The jalapeño pepper has long been synonymous with spiciness – but if you’ve perceived a decline in its power, it’s not your imagination. Some jalapeños truly are getting less spicy, thanks to shadowy forces.

The dining critic Brian Reinhart blew the whole thing wide open in a piece in the Dallas-area publication D Magazine last year. Last week, it caught the eye of a health writer, Timothy Faust, who posted: “Big Ag actually made jalapeños less spicy – you’re not going nuts.” He’d clearly struck a chord: “Heat lovers are fired up over ‘diabolical’ scheme,” said the New York Post. “What the jal? Jalapeños aren’t hot any more,” lamented the Food Institute. “I have tasted these blandapeños. They are an abomination,” tweeted the poet DA Powell.

The long-term ‘de-spicification’ of the jalapeño is a deliberate choice, not the product of a bad season of weather,” Reinhart wrote. In short, most jalapeños are sent to factories to be used in prepared foods such as salsas, chips and sausages. The companies making these products want control over their products’ spice levels – and control is easier to achieve if the jalapeños are mild.

That’s because flavor and spiciness are two different things, says José C Marmolejo, a food writer who is Mexico’s representative to the World Chilli Alliance. Spiciness comes from a substance in the peppers known as capsaicin, which our bodies perceive as heat. Flavor, he explains, is what would be left if you took it out.

Companies can toss mild jalapeños into their recipes for flavor without worrying about spiciness. Then they can stoke the fire to the desired level by adding the spice itself: a pepper extract called oleoresin capsicum, which Reinhart describes as “pure heat”.

“It was a really big deal when breeders [told the industry], ‘Hey, look, I have a low-heat jalapeño,’ and then a low-heat but high-flavor jalapeño,” says Reinhart’s key source in the investigation. “That kind of became the big demand for jalapeños – low heat jalapeños – because most of them are used for processing and cooking. [Producers] want to start with jalapeños and add oleoresin capsicum.”

Reinhart’s source, Stephanie Walker, clearly knows her peppers: she’s on the advisory board of New Mexico University’s Chile Pepper Institute and was chair of last year’s New Mexico Chile Conference. New Mexico might be called the chilli state: it produced more than 60% of US chillis in 2021, and last year, it became the first state with an (extremely specific) official state aroma: “green chillis roasting in the fall”.

A key culprit in the de-spicification conspiracy, however, comes from one state over. It’s known as the Tam II, and it’s a type of jalapeño developed at Texas A&M University – hence the acronym – that’s very mild. It became a hit after emerging two decades ago, and its genes entered “the general jalapeño pool”, making the whole thing milder, Reinhart writes.

For big companies, it’s all about standardization, says Marmolejo, who likens the phenomenon to “the McDonald’s concept that every burger has stayed the same everywhere”. As a former manufacturer of salsa and other chilli products, he ran into the issue himself. But he took a different approach to solving it: making his foods in big batches. “You might get some chillis that are spicy and others that are not,” he says. But mix big quantities, and things tend to even out: “It’s probability.”

“I’m into natural processes and flavors, and so I wouldn’t trust a company that would put additives in, even if it’s capsaicin,” Marmolejo says.

In fact, the extract itself is pretty unappealing, says Dave DeWitt, a food historian and chilli expert who collaborated with Marmolejo on a cookbook Reinhart cites. “I’ve seen buckets of it. It’s nasty, nasty, nasty,” he says. “It’s a chemical more than a food, I think.” But he acknowledges it makes business sense for companies to use it, given concerns over standardization and the cost of peppers.

Even if some jalapeños are getting weaker, pepper fans shouldn’t worry: they still have plenty of options. “You want a hot jalapeño, they are there,” Marmolejo says, highlighting those grown in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Veracruz.

He strongly cautions against any generalization about a decline in spiciness, given the many different varieties of jalapeños – there are dozens, according to DeWitt. Reinhart points, for instance, to the mitla variety, which can hit 8,000 on the Scoville scale of spiciness, compared with 1,080 for some Tam peppers. Customers looking for spicier options might want to check the source of their peppers: jalapeños grown in Mexico may be spicier, and broadly speaking, smaller peppers are often hotter, DeWitt says.

And there are plenty of non-jalapeño chillis to choose from if you’re looking for heat. “Habaneros have been very popular for the last 30 years in the states,” says Marmolejo. “They are probably my favorite fresh chilli pepper. The aroma is unmistakable.”

PopCorners Jalapeño Popper races to a bold snacking flavor win

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Originally published by FoodSided on May 1, 2024

Written by Cristine Struble

PopCorners Jalapeno Popper flavor / PopCorners

 

When that crunchy, light food craving hits, there is only one snack that tops the must open list. PopCorners captures that airy crunch without sacrificing on taste. With the new PopCorners  Jalapeño Popper flavor, the cheesy spicy flavor is ready to earn the snacking crown.

Although some people try to follow a balance eating lifestyle, the desire to eat some snacks does not have to derail the food choices. An option, like PopCorners, offers that satisfying crunch without being heavy, greasy, or otherwise calorically dense option. For people who like popcorn but wanted more texture and snacking convenience, the snack fills a void.

While PopCorners has several flavors in its line-up, it was missing a spicy option. Sure, that classic Sea Salt is enjoyable while flying JetBlue, but some people prefer a little burn in the bag. Given that spicy flavors have taken over the snack shelf, the PepsiCo snack brand needed to branch out to capture and keep its snacking fan base.

The new PopCorners Jalapeño Popper flavor is a curious choice for the brand. While the food company could have sprinkled some crushed pepper or drizzled some sriracha on a chip, this flavor concept is more robust. In a way, it takes the classic appetizer and makes it portable. Maybe, it is the solution to multiple food trends.

As Rhasheda Boyd, vice president of marketing, PepsiCo said, “In developing the new Jalapeño Popper flavor, we saw an unmet desire for spicier options in the snack aisle. So, we decided to embrace our ‘popped, never fried’ motto with a unique take on a familiar food.”

Cindy Crawford And Casamigos Unveil Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila

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Originally published by Forbes on April 8th, 2024

Written by Shivani Vora

 

Legendary supermodel and entrepreneur Cindy Crawford and the founders of Casamigos, Rande Gerber, George Clooney, and Mike Meldman, unveil.

Cindy Crawford and her new Casamigas Tequila. Crawford is pictured wearing Blundstone Chelsea Boots. STEWART SHINING

Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila. This fiery addition to the Casamigos family is inspired by Cindy’s personal favorite drink, the skinny, spicy Casamigos Margarita.

“A few years ago, Rande and I were watching the sun set on our dock and we talked about how fun it would be for me to do a spicy tequila. Voila – Casamigas was born,” says Cindy.

As a woman who loves to travel, Cindy enjoys unwinding with her favorite drink at the hotel bar. A jalapeño tequila was clearly missing from the shelf. Now, with Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila, her travel escapades to her favorite destinations such as Miami, New York, Chicago, Paris, and London are bound to be even more memorable, as she can savor her cocktail of choice wherever her adventures take her.

Crafted from 100% blue Weber agave from the rich clay soil of Jalisco, Mexico, and using the ultra-premium Casamigos Blanco Tequila, it’s naturally flavored with jalapeños to create a spicy yet balanced tequila.

“As much as I love Casamigos, my go to drink for a fun night is a skinny, spicy Casamigos margarita,” says Cindy. “Casamigas Jalapeño makes it that much easier. It’s Casamigos with a kick.”

But Casamigas Jalapeño isn’t just a product—it’s a passion project. With Crawford’s intimate involvement with Rande and his team in every step of its creation, from concept to label design, this launch is a testament to the personal investment of both the Casamigos team and the supermodel herself.

“Cindy has obviously been part of the Casamigos journey since day one, and I’m excited that she now gets to put her special touches on Casamigas,” says Rande Gerber.

Available nationwide at hotels and restaurants such as Casa Cipriani, Soho Grand, and The Mercer, Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila promises an adventure whether you drink it neat, over ice, or in a cocktail.

And let’s not forget the aesthetic appeal: the label of Casamigas Jalapeño Tequila is a playful nod to its fiery nature. Incorporating Gerber’s same classic bottle design, the label, also designed by Gerber, has Cindy playfully disrupting the traditional label with a vibrant display of flames, jalapeños, and Crawford’s trademark lips and beauty mark.

It’s a visual representation of the tequila’s bold personality—a statement piece for any hotel bar or yours at home.

It’s Not A Rumor: Why Jalapeños Are Becoming Less Spicy

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Originally published by Plant Based News on April 03, 2024

Written by Adam Protz

Are jalapeño peppers really less spicy? – Media Credit: Adobe Stock

 

It has now been confirmed to not be just another conspiracy theory found in the darker corners of the internet: jalapeños are being produced to be deliberately less spicy. It may seem strange in a time where spice is all the rage, with many famous musicians selling their own hot sauces, and Hot Ones, (a YouTube show in which guests eat increasingly hot food) attracting A-list celebrities.

Nonetheless, it is now out in the open that the agriculture industry has been deliberately tampering with the jalapeño. Hailing from Mexico, the name is Spanish for “from Xalapa,” the Mexican city where the medium-sized chili pepper was traditionally grown and cultivated. Fans of the pepper are now worried it will never retain its original spice level following agricultural intervention.

A larger jalapeño, but with less heat

The concern all follows a report in a report in D Magazine that finds these lower-spiced jalapeños are the results of “a vast industrial scheme.” The new variety of the pepper is called TAM II, and, because it suits many aspects of the jalapeño production industry, is often now the jalapeño people will find themselves eating at home or in restaurants. The name refers to Texas A&M University, where TAM II was first developed.

There are several reasons why it suits industrial-level agriculture and the food industry at large so well: despite its deeply controversial reduced scoville-level, it grows to be a larger fruit with an increased amount of flesh. As with many tampered-with fruits and vegetables, there is a perception that it looks better aesthetically. It has stronger virus resistance, and also boasts a faster maturation.

Shop local for the spicier jalapeños

This all means it will be tricky for those who don’t wish to buy the TAM II variety. One of the only viable workarounds in such a situation is to shop at smaller or independent greengrocers, where shoppers can discuss with the staff which jalapeño variety they are stocking. The spicier varieties to ask for are Early and Mitla peppers.

A big driver of TAM II production is the salsa industry. With this newer variety of jalapeño, which is only around 20 years old, salsa makers can now control the spice levels of their products more precisely, often adding their own spice to tweak the salsa to their desired result.

Do you know where your Sriracha’s peppers come from? Someone is secretly buying jalapenos

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Originally published by USA Today Network on January 29th, 2024

Written by Tom Kisken

Once nearly impossible to find, Huy Fong Foods Sriracha sauce again lines the shelf of grocery stores like this WinCo foods in Ventura. Tom Kisken/The Star

 

Huy Fong Food’s rooster-stamped, green-tipped Sriracha sauce once again lines shelves in grocery stores. It’s possible Alex Jack is part of the reason why.

The Imperial Valley pepper farmer was asked by a middle man if he could grow 500 acres of red jalapenos for an unknown producer. He did it, was paid handsomely via a bank wire and now plans to plant 200 acres more in February.

He has not been told who is buying the jalapenos, though he suspects it is Huy Fong Foods, the hot sauce company that once used 100 million pounds of peppers a year in producing its hugely successful sauces.

“I was told to keep blinders on my eyes and look forward and don’t ask questions,” he said.

Huy Fong Foods officials aren’t saying anything, but speculation is rampant in California’s pepper-growing community the Irwindale company is using intermediaries to reach out anonymously to farmers in search of ramping up production.

At least one grower who was approached about jalapenos, Edgar Terry of Ventura, said he was told the buyer is Huy Fong. He turned the offer down.

“I demanded to find out,” he said. “I have to know who I’m growing for.”

Huy Fong Foods’ hot pepper pipeline was fed for 28 years by one provider, Underwood Ranches in Camarillo. But the once family-like partnership ended in a bitter dispute that spawned civil lawsuits and a $23.3 million verdict for Underwood from jurors. They said Huy Fong, founded by Vietnamese refugee David Tran, broke its contract and committed fraud by withholding information.

Afterward, Huy Fong reportedly relied on other producers, including growers in Mexico, ultimately struggling with a jalapeno shortage that caused them to temporarily halt production.

Steady supply for Huy Fong Foods’ Sriracha sauce

It got so bad Sriracha lovers offered astronomic prices for the rooster bottles on Craigslist. At the Asahi Market in Oxnard, people waited in long lines for Sriracha, sometimes buying every bottle in the sparse inventory. Store owner Mark Aboueid journeyed regularly to Los Angeles on foraging missions aimed at finding a case or two to sell.

Chick-fil-A provides a seasonal twist on its signature chicken sandwich for the first time

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Originally published by Nation’s Restaurant News on August 15, 2023

Written by Alicia Kelso

 

Chick-fil-A’s Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich is available nationwide beginning Aug. 28.

Photo by Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is launching a Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich nationwide beginning Aug. 28, marking the first time the chain has provided a seasonal twist on its signature offering. The sandwich is available while supplies last and includes an original filet topped with custom-made creamy pimento cheese and mild pickled jalapeños. It is served on a toasted bun drizzled with honey.

The company notes that pickled jalapeños have never been used before in a Chick-fil-A entrée, while its pimento cheese is made with green chilis and red pimentos combined with cheddar cheese. According to Chef Stuart Tracy, the drizzle of honey adds a subtly sweet flavor to tie everything together.

Related: Chick-fil-A is testing a new grilled chicken sandwich

“We wanted to create a standout sandwich that would deliver a unique spin for our guests, without losing the classic taste of the Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich uses ingredients and flavors our guests have never experienced at Chick-fil-A before, balancing savory, sweet and spicy elements using the highest quality ingredients. With our custom-made pimento cheese and specially sourced jalapeños, we hope to deliver a new and exciting sandwich our guests will love,” Tracy said in a statement.

According to the company, the culinary team began exploring a new seasonal twist on its original chicken sandwich after the positive introduction of entrees like the Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich and the Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich. The Honey Pepper Pimento offering ranked No. 1 out of more than 30 creations during the year-plus-long research and development process, and customers rated it highly for taste and value during its market test in North and South Carolina. Indeed, hot honey is on trend and flavor and beverage company Monin recently named hot honey the 2023 flavor of the year.Chick-fil-A is launching a Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich nationwide beginning Aug. 28, marking the first time the chain has provided a seasonal twist on its signature offering. The sandwich is available while supplies last and includes an original filet topped with custom-made creamy pimento cheese and mild pickled jalapeños. It is served on a toasted bun drizzled with honey.

The company notes that pickled jalapeños have never been used before in a Chick-fil-A entrée, while its pimento cheese is made with green chilis and red pimentos combined with cheddar cheese. According to Chef Stuart Tracy, the drizzle of honey adds a subtly sweet flavor to tie everything together.

Related: Chick-fil-A is testing a new grilled chicken sandwich

“We wanted to create a standout sandwich that would deliver a unique spin for our guests, without losing the classic taste of the Original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich uses ingredients and flavors our guests have never experienced at Chick-fil-A before, balancing savory, sweet and spicy elements using the highest quality ingredients. With our custom-made pimento cheese and specially sourced jalapeños, we hope to deliver a new and exciting sandwich our guests will love,” Tracy said in a statement.

According to the company, the culinary team began exploring a new seasonal twist on its original chicken sandwich after the positive introduction of entrees like the Smokehouse BBQ Bacon Sandwich and the Grilled Spicy Deluxe Sandwich. The Honey Pepper Pimento offering ranked No. 1 out of more than 30 creations during the year-plus-long research and development process, and customers rated it highly for taste and value during its market test in North and South Carolina. Indeed, hot honey is on trend and flavor and beverage company Monin recently named hot honey the 2023 flavor of the year.

Notably, Chick-fil-A isn’t the only company iterating its signature offering four years after the so-called chicken sandwich wars started with a Popeyes tweet directed toward Chick-fil-A. The 2019 social media fodder led to a wave of chicken sandwich launches and promotions from dozens of companies – including Wendy’s, Church’s Chicken, KFC, Jack in the Box, Shake Shack, Burger King, Panera and McDonald’s – all jockeying for market share for a high-demand product and in an attempt to tap into Chick-fil-A’s dominance in the category.

Those iterations started coming last year, when Wendy’s launched a hot honey chicken sandwich. Late last year, Popeyes added a new Blackened Chicken Sandwich to the menu, while Burger King brought back its Italian Chicken Sandwich. Earlier this year, KFC extended its chicken sandwich platform with an Ultimate BBQ KFC Chicken Sandwich and a Spicy Slaw Chicken Sandwich.

In March, McDonald’s rebranded its crispy chicken sandwich to the McCrispy, and executives have noted a gain in share in the chicken category since. That said, it doesn’t seem to be gaining share from Chick-fil-A. According to Datassential, McDonald’s sales increased by 5.9% from 2021 to 2022, to $48.6 billion. Chick-fil-A’s sales during that same period grew by 12.8%, to $18.8 billion.

Caramel Crumble Milkshake also on deck

In addition to the new sandwich, Chick-fil-A is also launching a Caramel Crumble Milkshake, made with butterscotch caramel flavors, Chick-fil-A Icedream, blondie crumbles and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. This marks the brand’s seventh seasonal milkshake since the offering was first introduced in 2006. It was created by Chef Christy Cook and tested in Salt Lake City in 2021.

“When creating our next fall shake, I wanted to make our guests feel those cozy and nostalgic feelings of the season, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact flavors until I baked a batch of blondies for my family,” Cook said in a statement. “After tasting that little bit of caramelized ingredients at the bottom of the pan, I knew I’d found the perfect flavor combination.”

GRILLED FISH TACOS WITH JALAPEÑO CORN SLAW.

/in , /by

Originally published by How Sweet Eats on August 14, 2023

Written by Jessica Merchant

 

These grilled fish tacos are a summer favorite for us. Smoky, flavorful grilled fish is served on warm tortillas with a crisp and refreshing jalapeño slaw made with fresh corn. We adore this lovely light meal that is packed with flavor!

Have a Monday margarita with this taco!!

Photo from Pinterest

These grilled fish tacos are such an easy, delicious way to make your weeknight meal shine. The fish is smoky, flaky and buttery. The jalapeno corn slaw is crunchy and refreshing with a bite of heat and citrus. The whole combination is incredible.

While it’s true that I’ll put just about another in a taco, fish tacos are one of our favorites. Especially Eddie’s. He doesn’t love Mexican food as much as I do, but he will gladly take a fish taco any day.

Beer battered fish tacos are probably my number one choice. But what I love about these grilled fish tacos is that they are so smoky and light. You know how it can be SO HOT in the summer that you barely have an appetite? Like it’s almost too hot to eat?

Photo from Pinterest

These are perfect for those hot nights. First, you grill the fish so no need to heat up the house with the oven. And second, they are easy, customizable and such a lovely light meal. No feeling like you downed an entire bowl of queso after finishing these

Unless, of course, you downed an entire bowl of queso after finishing these.

When it comes to the fish, I like to use a mild white fish for this. Something like cod. I already have a recipe for summer salmon tacos, but salmon works here too. Basically, if you like the fish, you will enjoy it in these tacos.

I use lots of smoky spices. Smoked paprika, cumin, some garlic, a pinch of chipotle chili powder. Layering the flavor is the name of the game here and I want flavor in every single bite of taco!

One way that I make these fish tacos come off the grill so perfectly flaky and buttery is by using a grill pan. This all clad one is my favorite – I have two and use them almost every single day. I spray them with an avocado oil spray or something similar and then place the fish on the grill pan, then the whole thing directly on the grill.

This also helps to ensure that the fish doesn’t flake off and fall in between the grates when you’re flipping it or trying to remove it from the grill. It’s the easiest way to do it, especially if you’re a beginner.

If I have big pieces of fish, then I feel confident throwing them directly on the grates. But just keep in mind that fish cooks fast on the grill – you don’t want to overcook it!

Photo from Pinterest

NOW… THE SLAW.

This slaw may be our favorite summer slaw so far. And you know that we are suckers for a good, crunchy slaw.

I love the refreshing, crisp bite that the slaw gives to the taco, especially since the fish is so soft and practically melts in your mouth.

This slaw is made with super thinly sliced green cabbage, corn cut straight from the cob, jalapeño peppers from the garden, tons of fresh cilantro, a little lime and lots of salt and pepper. Trust me when I say that you will want to eat this as a salad! In fact, it could be a side salad or side dish for these tacos. If you don’t want to put the slaw directly in the taco, just serve it on the side!

It is SO crunchy. So crispy. Perfectly sweet and savory with a hint of spice.

The other toppings I love for these tacos? My quick pickled onions. Some crumbly cotija cheese. A few spritzes of fresh lime. And maybe some extra cilantro.

Those are the basics for me, but of course you can add anything else you love.

RECIPE

GRILLED FISH TACOS WITH JALAPEÑO CORN SLAW

 yield: 4 PEOPLE
prep time: 30MINUTES 
cook time: 15MINUTES 
total time: 45MINUTES 
These grilled fish tacos are a summer favorite for us. Smoky, flavorful grilled fish is served on warm tortillas with a crisp and refreshing jalapeño slaw made with fresh corn. We adore this lovely light meal that is packed with flavor!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound cod, or similar fish
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • flour or corn tortillas, your choice
  • pickled onions, for topping
  • crumbled cotija cheese, for topping
  • fresh cilantro, for topping
  • fresh lime wedges, for spritzing

 

  • JALAPEÑO CORN SLAW
    • 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
    • 2 to 3 ears of grilled corn, corn cut from the cob
    • 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced and seeds removed
    • ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
    • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • kosher salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat your grill to the highest setting. As a note, I like to grill the corn for the slaw. Sometimes I will do that first and then make the slaw, because the fish cooks so quickly!
  • Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Season it all over with salt and pepper, then sprinkle all over with the spices. Place the fish on a grill pan (or directly on the grates if you’re not using one).
  • Place the grill pan directly on the grill. You can also place a few ears of corn on the cob directly on the grill grates to use for the slaw if you didn’t do that yet.
  • Grill the fish for 2 to 3 minutes with the lid closed, then gently flip the fish and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes more. It should be flaky and opaque when finished.

  • Warm the tortillas if you wish. To assemble the tacos, add the fish on first then top with the slaw, some pickled onions, cotija cheese and cilantro. Spritz with lime

JALAPEÑO CORN SLAW

  • Place the cabbage, corn peppers and cilantro in a large bowl. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the lime juice and the olive oil. Toss a bunch of times with kitchen tongs until combined. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.