Sweet And Spicy Red Pepper Spread Food

SWEET RED PEPPER RELISH/SPREAD

Steps:

• Clean and remove seeds and finely chop peppers. (This can be done by hand or with a food processor).
• Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer, uncovered for 45-60 minutes - stirring occasionally until thickened.
• It can be canned or you can store it in the fridge for several weeks.

SPICY PEPPER AND ONION

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute bell pepper and sweet onion in hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir mushrooms and garlic into the pepper mixture; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir Worcestershire sauce, parsley, ketchup, basil, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cumin, and cayenne pepper into the pepper mixture. Place cover on the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until mixture thickens, 20 to 30 minutes. If mixture is too dry, add water and stir.

SPICY RED-PEPPER JELLY

Steps:

• Sterilize jars and lids:
• Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Dry screw bands. Put empty jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner or a deep 8- to 10-quart pot and add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. Remove canner from heat, leaving jars in water, covered. Heat lids in water to cover by 2 inches in a small saucepan until thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil). Remove from heat. Keep jars and lids submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.
• Make jelly:
• Pulse bell peppers with red-pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped. (Mixture will measure about 2 1/2 cups.)
• Whisk together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
• Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar, butter, salt, and remaining 3 cups sugar in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then continue to boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture, whisking constantly. Return jelly to a vigorous boil, stirring constantly, and boil, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). Remove from heat.
• Carefully remove jars and lids with canning tongs, then drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel and quickly dry lids. Invert jars and immediately ladle hot jelly into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. (Last jar may not be full.) Run a clean plastic spatula between jelly and sides of jars to eliminate air bubbles. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a damp clean kitchen towel, then firmly screw on lids with screw bands.
• Seal and process jars:
• Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches. (If you have a jar that is partially full, do not process it. Cover it with a lid and screw band, then keep in refrigerator.) Bring to a full boil, covered, then boil jelly, covered, 15 minutes. Transfer jars with canning tongs to a towel-lined surface to cool. Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, that means that the vacuum formed above the cooling jelly has made the lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear the ping. The important thing is for the jars to eventually have concave lids. Jelly will thicken as it cools.
• After jars have cooled, 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift lid with your fingertips. If you can't, the lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first (along with jar that was only partially full).

CREAMY CRAB AND RED PEPPER SPREAD

Steps:

• Reserve 2 tablespoons onions. Mix remaining onions with all remaining ingredients except crackers.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Top with reserved onions. Serve with crackers.

SPICY CRANBERRY CHEESE SPREAD

Steps:

• Mix the cranberry sauce and pepper jelly together until smooth.
• Place cream cheese on serving dish.
• Pour jelly sauce over.
• Serve with crackers.
• NOTE: does not work well with fat free cream cheese, as it separates. But the light cream cheese is wonderful!

SWEET AND SPICY PEPPER RELISH

Steps:

• Wearing rubber or latex gloves, trim tops off chiles. Working in batches, pulse chiles, bell peppers, and onion in a food processor until chopped into fine bits, about 1 minute per batch. Transfer to a nonreactive 3-quart pot.
• Stir sugar, vinegar, and salt into chile mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pour or ladle relish into clean, wide-mouth, half-pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Apply clean lids. Enjoy immediately, store in fridge 2 to 3 weeks, or freeze up to 6 months.

RED PEPPER DIP

Steps:

• Place the peppers, cream cheese, scallions, garlic and lemon juice in a blender or food processor.
• Process until the mixture is thoroughly pureed.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl and chill until needed.

SLIGHTLY SPICY ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Blend garlic, red bell peppers, red wine vinegar, sriracha sauce, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a blender until smooth.

SWEET AND SPICY FIG COMPOTE

Steps:

• Heat figs, red wine, sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until wine is reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.