Ohhh Weeeeee…this was a HOT one! I once prided myself as being able to eat some pretty hot stuff so diving right into the “Spicy like Me” chapter of Legendary Patti LaBelle’s Recipes for the Good Life cookbook happened without the least bit of caution. But baybaeeeee, this songbird put me in my place….stagehand. lol Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious!!!! However, it got to the point that I was picking out the minced pieces of jalepeno and habanero peppers with my fingers (at the dinner table) to get the tiniest bit of relief. It didn’t work. It was insufferable and my diners, Greg and Tera, shared my sentiment. lol I definitely recommend this dish………….MINUS 2/3′s of the peppers. TRUST ME! A Fiercefodie is ALWAYS HOT but panting and gagging is NEVER sexy….well, unless you’re into that I guess. lol

(Below, the recipe I believe will work next time with 1/3 of the heat)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used Yukon Gold instead, since that’s what I had in the house–it was fine)

2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut, crosswise, into thick slices

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

1 large red bell pepper, well-washed, cored, seeded, membrane removed, and sliced

1/3 habanero chile, trimmed and sliced, or to taste

1/3 jalapeno chile, trimmed and sliced, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or water

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I’m not really a big cilantro fan so I skipped this, but I bet it helps to cool off and balance the heat from the peppers.)

Instructions

1. Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When just hot, add the oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, chiles and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or just until very fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.

3. Add the broth, stirring to blend. Lower the heat and cook, tossing and stirring, for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

                                      

1-12 OZ bottle Hot Wing Sauce
1-16 OZ bottle Blue Cheese
2-8 oz Cream Cheese
2 cups shredded cheese
4 chicken breasts  cooked and shredded (or use 4 large cans of turkey breast meat as I did today)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain canned chicken, break up with fork. In a separate bowl, mix Hot Wing sauce, softened cream cheese and the dressing until creamy. (You’re supposed to use a “mixer” it but I didnt have one at work.) Add Chicken to it. Stir together and then spread into ungreased baking pan. Cover with cheddar cheese. Bake 30 – 40 minutes. Serve with Tortilla chips. I guess you could do veggies too but looking at the recipe…really? What’s the point? lol

The next time I make it will probably be for the fam and I will use real chicken breast but for my co-workers, they can get the canned meat. Not that I don’t love them, it’s just unneccessary. lol Normally I would post a pic but I made it at work and when I finally thought about it, it was too late. I’ll be certain to insert one the next time, though. (If you make anything with cheddar cheese then you know what I’m referring to when I say it was no longer camera ready) BUT IT WAS GOOD!! Three people emailed me requests for the recipe and that is always a good sign. Enjoy! Thanks Again, Kesha.

                                      

On to the good stuff…

Today started as a good day. I took my new camera to work to photograph the Holiday Luncheon and Christmas Tree Pics. I was uber excited although I had a 9 am meeting just before the festivities. In any event, I sorta kinda donated my car keys in with my canned good donations to one of the 4 food banks we partner with every year. The worst part is that I did not notice they were missing until after their business hours. So, my friend picked us up from work and now we’re trapped. We probably wouldn’t be going anywhere but I never noticed how much I liked the option. : )

In a hurry to whip something up, relieve my stress and not take my stress out on the “unneccessarily pouty Greg” I remembered that I had purchased Jerk Pork from Publix. I used to be skeptical of pre-seasoned meats for some reason but since it’s just the two of us, I decided to give it a try. The meat is cut into big bite-sized chunks and is marinated in a jerk seasoning. IT IS SPICY AND DELICIOUS. I served it over egg noodles that night with corn on the cob and a side salad. However, a friend of mine says she makes it with yellow rice and I presume any other kind of rice or noodle would work just the same. This meal is hella quick, tasty and EASY. Give it a try one night. (P.S. I buy 2 packs for about $2.50 each and we eat it for lunch the next day as well). Good Stuff…