Monday, November 5, 2012

Black Canyon Chili Powder Addiction

Since we last had a spice chat I have accumulated more than 40 of the individual herbs, spices, and spice blends.  They are all awesome, but my clear favorite is the Black Canyon Chili Powder.  I basically want everything to taste like this. The blend is made up of: Chile peppers, cocoa powder, garlic, toasted onion, Saigon cinnamon and Mexican oregano.  Yes, all sorts of things I love.

So here's what I've been making.  Obviously, I made Chili.  It was good, but not quite enough heat with this powder alone so I added some red pepper flakes to kick the heat up a bit.  Mine are super fresh and it didn't take much to bridge the gap.  Alternatively, you might just add some cayenne. (I had thrown my old batch away and hadn't yet replaced it when I did this test).  I've tried a myriad of other things and liked them all, but at the end of two months together my favorite two recipes are below for you to enjoy as well.  Leave a comment with other ideas about what I could do with my new favorite and I'll send one of you a jar all your own!

Black Canyon Chili Spiced Nuts & Pretzel Mix
 Last winter, I came upon a Pretzel & Nut Mix recipe by David Lebovitz that I loved. I made and shared it all through the winter.  This recipe is a new spin on that one with the Black Canyon making it a wee bit easier and with a less sugary coating, in fact, you can omit the sugar altogether and it is still amazing.  I have had this for lunch, ummm, more times than I'd like to admit and have made variations that include cheerios and chickadee (aka goldfish) crackers too and with just nuts alone.  If you add more mixins you will need to increase the butter and spice to get proper coating.  I've even made a single serving in the microwave (hint: do not put chickadee crackers in the microwave....).  Here is what has become my base version, but feel free to add other things.  Raisins, for example, are particularly good, but add only after any cooking... yes, I've burnt some raisins too.

Ingredients:
2 c. Nuts (I typically use 1/2 peanuts and 1/2 almonds, but anything would work).
1 c. Pretzels
1 T. Butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt (you may want to vary this depending on if your nuts are salted from the outset or not.)
1-2 tsp Black Canyon Chili Powder (or to taste)
1-2  tsp sugar or vanilla sugar (I often omit this).

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Pour mixture onto a large, rimmed cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. OR microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute and checking for any blackening.  

(Technically, this is roughly four to six servings). 

Ok, so technically nuts are very good for us, but perhaps a not "as" healthy as veggies and they pack a lot more fat.  I was determined to cross this recipe over to sweet potatoes and maybe even butternut squash to get some orange veggies in on the action.  Here is how that approach works:

Spicy & Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (roughly 1/2 inch pieces)
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. Black Canyon Chili Powder
1 tsp. Salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 tsp. Sugar (or vanilla sugar, if you're fancy-- I have a vanilla bean from Savory in a mason jar on my counter and add sugar to make my own).  Again, this could easily be omitted.  I was hoping it would help the potatoes carmalize and have a crispier exterior.  That was semi-successful, but could be skipped. 


Instructions: Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.  Mix all of the above so everything is well coated. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or coat very lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking.  Spread sweet potato mixture on the tray.  Back for 20 minutes or until crispy at the edges, stir at least once.  Feel free to add more or less sugar or spice depending on your personal tastes.  I "might" have eaten the entire recipe of this one day, but it is probably more appropriately enough for 2-3 people. 

I've also tried it on things like popcorn, potatoes, and cauliflower, among others.  How would you use a jar if I sent one your way?

Leave your comment below and I'll choose a winner using random.org and post it on my Ten on Tuesday next week (11/13/12). 

3 comments:

manda_hladik said...

Both recipes sound great! I just might have to try the sweet potatoes sometime soon!

Tracie said...

I have a Boiler Maker Chili Recipe that I would love to try with the Black Canyon Chili Powder !!!!

Mary said...

Too late to enter? The chocolate makes me think of mole sauce, which goes well with chicken. I'm imagining some kind of blackened chicken. Or maybe put it in the breading for chicken tenders, and then use it also in a dipping sauce.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...