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It’s not a secret that I love spicy food, and Aly made some amazing jerk pork loin earlier this week that just really put spice on my mind when I started to think about this week’s recipe column.  So these recipes may not be for the faint of stomach! Just remember if you’re sensitive to spicy food, make sure to have some milk handy!

None of them are outrageous, so be bold and try them!

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STUFFING W/ CHORIZO & POBLANOS

6 Tbsp. salted butter

1 lb. loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 lb. fresh chorizo, casings removed

4 stalks celery, diced

1 large or 2 small poblano chile peppers, seeded and diced

1 onion, diced

2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 375 °. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Spread out the cubed bread on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake until just dried out but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add the celery, poblano, and onion, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Toss the chorizo mixture with the bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Ladle the hot broth into the bread mixture, tossing, until the bread cubes are moistened but not soaked through.

Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish. Dice the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and dot over the top of the stuffing. Bake until the top and sides are golden brown and starting to crisp, 30 to 35 minutes.

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SPICY ARTICHOKE & PARMESAN DIP

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. chopped jarred pickled cherry peppers

Crackers and/or sliced vegetables, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425˚. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in a medium bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula. Add the artichokes, ½ cup parmesan, the parsley and salt; stir to combine. Fold in the cherry peppers. 

Spread the dip in a 1-quart ovenproof dish and top with the remaining ¼ cup parmesan. Bake until bubbly around the edges and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with crackers and/or vegetable slices. 

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CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

1 lb. fettuccine

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. Cajun seasoning, divided

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp. salted butter, divided 

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Black pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning over the chicken pieces. Toss to coat. 

In a heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high heat. Add half of the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow the chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken to a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Remove the chicken, leaving the pan on high heat.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. When heated, add the peppers, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, and season with salt, if needed. Cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add the tomatoes and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove all of the vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat until the cream starts to thicken the mixture, a few minutes. Taste and add black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. The sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add the chicken and vegetables to the sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook until the mixture is bubbly and hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine.

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SPICY SRIRACHA 

DEVILED EGGS

12 large eggs

4 slices bacon

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. sriracha, plus more for drizzling

1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard

2 tsp. distilled white vinegar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Sliced pickled jalapeños, for garnish

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with the slotted spoon to the bowl of ice water; let cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the fat in the pan. Let the bacon cool, then finely chop.

Peel the eggs, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the yolks into a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sriracha, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and mash with a fork until smooth.

Scoop the filling into a zip-top bag and snip a corner. Pipe the filling into the egg whites and top with the bacon. Drizzle with sriracha and garnish with pickled jalapeños.

TFD: The only thing better than food is spicy food.

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