Give your cooking a kick: From a jalapeno butter to a spicy cake -- our chef is turning up the heat



MILWAUKEE -- Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner -- so why not spice things up? Chef Alisa Malavenda joins Real Milwaukee to heat things up in the kitchen with some peppers.

Alisa is making a spicy sriracha paloma, chorizo bacon-wrapped dates, a homemade verde sauce with roasted tomatillos, chicken enchiladas, pork chili Verde, ancho chile and coffee steak rub with pico de gallo, and a grilled spicy upside-down pineapple cake. You can get the recipes at fox6now.com after the show.

Here is a list of Scoville Heat Units (SHU) of the most common chili peppers and hot sauces so you can get an understanding of how they relate to each other.


    Spicy Sriracha Paloma


      Grapefruit slices, ice and salt or habanero crystals to coat rim of the glass

      Coat the rim of the glass with salt or a combination of habanero crystals and salt if you desire.  Add all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and mixed well. Pour everything into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a grapefruit slice.

      Chorizo Bacon-Wrapped Dates


        Preheat oven to 350 degrees

        Make small slit in each date and remove pits

        Fill each date chorizo, but don't overstuff

        Slice bacon in half crosswise to create 2 pieces from each

        Wrap dates with bacon, bake  on foil-lined baking sheet for about 40 min

        You may choose to broil for about 1-2 min to crisp bacon - but be careful not to burn!

        Pepper sauce for Dates:

        While the dates are baking, make the sauce

        Add the peppers and tomatoes to a medium saucepan and cook slowly over med-low heat for the entire time the dates bake.

        Season with salt, then puree until almost smooth, about the consistency of a thin salsa (a handheld immersion blender or countertop blender both work)

        Homemade Verde Sauce with Roasted Tomatillos (for stews, soups  and enchiladas)


          Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

          Peel and rinse the tomatillos. Chop them in half and set them skin sides up onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.

          Slice all of the peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto the baking sheet. You might need more than one sheet. Also, remove the innards of the poblano before placing them.

          Add garlic to baking sheet and broil not too close to the heat source for 20-30 minutes, or until the pepper skins are nice and charred. Remove from heat and let cool.

          Peel the skins from the peppers, if desired, and add to a food processor with tomatillos. Squeeze the garlic from their skins and into the food processor they go.

          Add cilantro, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper.

          Process to combine.

          Add chicken broth and lime juice and process until smooth.

          Pour the green sauce into a pan or a pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes or so to let the flavors fully develop.

          A squeeze of lime brings out all the flavors even more!

          Chicken Enchiladas

          For the enchilada sauce: ( You can buy hatches organic mild enchilada (2-10 oz cans )if you don’t want to make your own )


            For the chicken:


              Garnish : chopped scallions , cilantro , lettuce ,tomato sour cream for topping

              For sauce:

              In a medium saucepan, add oil and sauté garlic. Add chipotle chilie , chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

              Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

              Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, jalapeño and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

              Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it.

              Place on baking dish seam side down, top with sauce.

              Then top with cheese.

              Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes.  leave you smiling

              Pork Chili Verde


                FOR THE CHILI


                  Preheat your oven to broil.

                  Sauce


                    Pork Chili

                    Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the olive oil.

                    Season the cubed pork shoulder with ancho powder, cumin, salt and pepper, then sear the cubes 1-2min.  on each side, until each side is nicely browned. Add the onions and stir. Cook about 5 minutes and then add the garlic and oregano and cook another minute.

                    Add the reserved verde sauce along with ¾-1  cup chicken stock Bring to a boil, then immediately  reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the pork is fork tender.

                    Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro and juice from 1 lime.

                    Serve with lime wedges, sliced jalapeno peppers, cilantro, crumbled Mexican cheese, chili flakes

                    Ancho Chile & Coffee Steak Rub with Pico de  Gallo


                      Combine ingredients together well and rub on the beef of your choice. Also good on pork ribs

                      You can store unused rub in a jar for several month

                      Brush only 1 side of each steak with the oil and liberally coat with the dry rub.

                      Place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill. Without turning, watch to see that the rub is set and has formed a crust, Cook 4-7 minutes depending on steak and desired temperature . Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes

                      Pico de Gallo


                        Cut the tomatoes in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds Cut into small dice.

                        Combine with remaining ingredients and let sit at room temperature while you are grilling your steaks Serve as a topping

                        Jalapeno Butter


                          Stem and seed the jalapeño and combine in a molcajete or food processor with cilantro and garlic and salt. Process until very finely minced. Mix into soft butter and refrigerate.

                          Grilled Spicy Upside-Down Pineapple Cake


                            Heat grill.

                            Peel pineapple and then cut into 1/2-inch slices. Using a small round cutter, remove the center core from each ring.

                            Place the pineapple rings directly on the grill  and cook  2 - 4 minutes on a side. Remove from grill and let cool. Pineapple rings can be grilled ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

                            Preheat oven to 350

                            In a skillet , cook , butter, sugar, and salt, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and bubbling. Sprinkle with the chilies ( if using cayenne mixture , add to the mixture when stirring ). Pour into a 9” buttered cake pan and arrange the pineapple rings on the bottom and cut some in half so they cover the entire pan.

                            Cake :


                              In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.

                              In a  sperate large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, in thirds, add the flour mixture, alternating with two equal additions of the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary

                              Spread the batter evenly over the pineapple slices in the skillet and Bake until the cake is golden brown and bounces back and  cake tester comes out clean when from the center, about 50 to 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Invert a serving platter over the cake pan and, while holding them together, quickly flip them over so the cake unmolds, pineapple-side up. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges, and serve.

                              * You can also do this in a cast iron skillet

                              *Korean red pepper flakes are a fruity spicy pepper flake that can be found in large bags at Asian or Korean grocery stores or online. They come in various spicy strength, from mild to spicy.