salsa – Pausha KP

I have been addicted to jalapenos preserved in oil ever since I had it at my friend Pady and Jay’s beautiful home in Cairo. It’s such a joy when the hubby’s get into action and come out with some really amazing, yet so simple discoveries that we relish all through. Pady and Jay, both are amazing chefs with a passion for cooking and everything that’s beautiful around them.

This condiment has been a must have in my pantry, since then. I always have one bottle aged and another one in the process of aging. One can use this in a plethora of ways, over Bruschetta, in sauces, as a garnish, in dips, while cooking, over eggs to name a few. On a plain toasted bread, oh my It’s heavenly! The oil infused with delicate hint of spice from jalapeno and garlic and a tartness from the lime adding to the party, it just seems like a perfect amalgamation.

A simple preserve, gets done in no time if you have all the ingredients at hand. All you need is some fresh, plump, juicy jalapenos and rest all are from the pantry. I had a good harvest of Jalapenos in my garden and decided to make a jar of this beauty. All I did was, few months ago while deseeding the jalapenos, I scattered some in a pot and within weeks I had a couple of them germinating and now I have a constant supply of Jalapenos at home. You could try that too 🙂 So lets get started with making your own bottle of this versatile preserve that you ll love to use, over and over again.

Ingredients:

6-8 fresh red jalapenos
Garlic, peeled and sliced, half a cup
juice of half lemon
Salt to taste
Extra virgin Olive oil, 1 cup
Clean, dry and sterilized bottle to mix them all up and store

Method:

Wash and pat dry the jalapenos, deseed them by slitting into half, lengthwise and chop them to bite size (approximately a cup of chopped jalapenos)
Slice peeled garlic and keep aside (approximately half a cup).
Take a jar and start to put all the ingredients one after the other. (jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, and salt).
Pour the oil over the ingredients in the bottle, give it a nice mix.
Close the bottle with a tight lid.
Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days, for the flavours to get infused. and then, the preserve is ready to use.
You can store it in your pantry at room temperature for 2-3 months or even more (depending on the humidity and weather at your location). If it doesn’t get over in a month or two, it may get a bit soft but it’s still good to use and relish.
Ensure that there’s always a layer of oil on top to preserve.
Enjoy the Jalapeno preserved in oil as you desire.

A jar of Jalapenos in oil, ready to be relished

My search for a quick and easy, healthy and filling, moist and crunchy Cornbread has been on for a while now. After many trials in my experimental kitchen with my dear husband and kids trying them out, the search finally ends in the form of this recipe. This skillet baked cornbread is just the way I wanted it, savory and mildly sweet, loaded with cheese and jalapenos. Pair with the in house jalapeno salsa or a blob of homemade butter or even a drizzle of honey.

Moist and Crunchy Cornbread, with a drizzle of Jalapeno Salsa

The ingredients used in the recipe are most often available in our pantry. You can also mix in and add more textures and tastes as you wish too, and it will yet come out deliciously baked. I have used a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for baking this cornbread, do not panic if you don’t have one, you can use a loaf tin, a cake pan or even muffin tin but monitor the baking time.

Recipe

Serves 14-16 slices

Preparation time 20 mins

Baking time 30-40 mins

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups corn (fresh, frozen or tinned)
2 tbsp/ 30 ml honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup ( 225 ml) milk
2 free-range eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups (213 gms) sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup yellow cornmeal (you can easily replace it with semolina/Rava or coarsely ground oats, I used semolina)
2 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
3/4 cup (105 gms) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Optional add on’s:

diced bacon
chopped herbs (chives/garlic chives/parsley etc)
2 – 3 tsp Jalapeno salsa

Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F).
Roughly blend the drained corn in a food processor or with a knife. I have used frozen sweet corn and blended them in the processor. Keep aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, honey, and brown sugar.
In another bowl, mix the blended corn, and bacon ( if using ).
In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder & salt) along with the grated cheddar.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet, along with the Jalapenos and chopped herbs. Do not over mix.
Place the castiron skillet in the oven with a tablespoon of butter for 5 mins.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake the cornbread for 30-40 mins or until it’s golden brown.
Remove from oven, let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy warm as an accompaniment or with a blob of butter or a drizzle of honey or the in house jalapeno salsa.

Tag: salsa

Jalapenos in oil

Skillet Baked Cornbread