Hot pepper jelly recipe

(Photo credit: Joelk75)

Hot pepper jelly was one of things that was always in our refrigerator when I was a kid, but I always shunned it because it was "weird". Now that I'm older and my tastes have changed dramatically, I welcome this spicy spread when paired with cream cheese and crackers as an appetizer or snack.

HOT PEPPER JELLY
1 3/4 cup seeded, finely chopped red pepper
1 3/4 cup seeded, finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup seeded. finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 (1.75 ounce) packages pectin
5 cups sugar

Directions
Wash and sterilize 6 (8 ounce) jars. Drain well before filling. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add all peppers to a medium size pot and pour in vinegar. Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, stir in sugar, and bring back to a rolling boil and boil for a full minute. The mixture may begin to foam, skim it off with a spoon. Remove from heat and fill the sterilized to 1/4 inch below the top. Cover with the flat lids and screw the bands on tightly. Using tongs, place the jars gently into the pot of hot water. All of the jars should be fully immersed. Bring back to a boil then process the jelly for 10-12 minutes. Remove the jars from the water with tongs and place upright on a towel and allow to cool completely and for the jars to seal. As the jars seal, you will begin to hear loud pops, let them continue to sit, untouched, until completely cooled. If the lids are sunken and have no give, they are sealed. If they have some give, they did not seal completely. Store these jars in the refrigerator. Unsealed jars can be held in the refrigerator for several weeks, sealed cars can be stored up to a year in a cool, dry location.

Cook's Notes: you can use whatever peppers you wish in the recipe and in the quantity you like so long as there are 4 cups total of diced peppers.

Homemade salsa recipe

Tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole from the Restaurant Weisshorn, Zermatt, Switzerland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Super Bowl is right around the corner and now would be a good time to start planning your party menu. You can't go wrong with salsa and chips, but take it up a notch this year with homemade salsa. It tastes so much better than what you buy from the grocery and you get to control how spicy it is.

HOMEMADE SALSA

• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• zest and juice from a lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to fully develop. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cook's Notes-this recipe is easily adapted to your individual tastes. If you want a hotter salsa, use a hotter pepper or more jalapeno. If you like it milder, use less pepper and more tomato.

Jalapeno cheddar bread recipe

Baking bread is therapeutic to me. The measuring of the ingredients, the smell of the yeast as it comes to life, the kneading of the dough, the smell as it bakes, the taste of a still warm loaf. Yes, I love every aspect of baking bread. Perhaps my favorite aspect of baking bread is experimenting. I like to play around with different ingredients to achieve unique flavor combinations. The following recipe is the end result of my many experimentations.

JALAPENO CHEDDAR BREAD

• 8 cups flour
• 5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup minced jalapeno peppers (1 small can)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water (110-120 degrees F)
• 3 packages (.25 oz) active dry yeast
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine 7 cups of flour, cheese, jalapenos, 7 tablespoons sugar and salt. Mix all ingredients well. In a separate bowl, combine water, yeast and remaining sugar. Stir until all yeast is dissolved and let sit for about 10 minutes. Add olive oil to the liquid mixture, stirring constantly. Add half of liquid mixture to the flour and mix with hands to moisten flour as much as possible. Add remaining liquid to dough and mix until flour is thoroughly mixed into the liquid. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic (approximately 15 minutes). Use remaining 1 cup of flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of a large bowl and add dough. Invert dough and cover with a dry dishcloth and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size (approximately 1 hour). Punch dough down. Divide into 3 equal portions, form each into a ball, then stretch dough and tuck edges under so create a smooth surface. Pop any noticeable air bubbles then form into loaves. Place in a sprayed 9X5 loaf pan, cover again with a towel and allow to rise until almost doubled again (45-60 minutes). Bake at 325 degrees F for about an hour. Halfway through, rotate pans to ensure even baking. Crust will be a rich, golden brown (see photo above) when done. Remove from pan as soon as bread will easily lift out and allow to cool an hour before slicing.

Cook's Notes-The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. It has a rich, warm flavor that can be tweaked to please your personal palate. Like more heat? Add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce or a few shakes of red pepper flakes. If more cheese is your thing, add another cup to the recipe. You can also try different types of peppers and cheeses until you find the flavor that suits you best.