Sauteed Chili Peppers

Put some spice on your plate with The 99 Cent Chef's Sauteed Chili Peppers. You can use any small chili peppers, I used mild ones. I've also run across sweet mini-bell peppers and chili peppers -- these are good substitutions if you are heat averse.

I simply saute small whole chili peppers in a teaspoon of oil and finish with a sprinkle of chili powder or paprika. This gives the peppers an extra smoky kick. They soften and slightly sweeten but still have a spicy heat.

It all depends what kind of chili pepper you use and how much heat you can take. This recipe came about after a trip to East LA for 99 cent fish tacos at Tacos Baja. This is a great cheap$kate deal sold on Wednesdays only (other days their fish taco is $1.69, still a bargain.) After I got my fish taco I headed to the salsa bar and noticed a tray of yellow small Chili Peppers dusted with dark red powder.

The first bite had a spicy kick that was a great contrast to crunch fried fish topped with cool cabbage, pico de gallo and sweet creme. I was hooked. And be sure to check back, I have a Cheap$kate Dining video on the Wednesday Special 99 cent Fish Taco from Tacos Baja coming up.

I ate a couple more Chili Peppers, trying to analyze how they did it. The lady who took my order said they didn't roast them, all they have is a fryer and a grill. Then I noticed a fry basket loaded with the peppers being dunked in the fryer - probably cooked for a minute or so to soften them up. As for the powder on the chili peppers, I figured it was either chili powder or paprika. Both are similar in flavor, so you can use whichever one you have on hand.

If you are looking for a spicy accompaniment to one of my Latin recipes (especially my homemade Fish Tacos - recipe coming soon) be sure to add some Sauteed Chili Peppers.

Ingredients

• Small package of Chili Peppers - about 6-12 small peppers. Okay to use any favorite sweet, mild or spicy peppers, including mini-bell peppers.
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder or paprika

Directions
Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add oil, coat pan and add Chili Peppers. Saute Chili Peppers, for a couple of minutes.

Cover pan and reduce heat to low/medium. Cook about 5-7 minutes. Rotate chili peppers every couple of minutes to heat through on all sides. Saute chili peppers all at once or in batches.

You don't need to char the chili peppers, just lightly brown them, enough to slightly soften.

Remove Chili Peppers and place in a bowl. Sprinkle on teaspoon of chili powder on all sides. Serve with your favorite Latin dish, backyard BBQ or spice up a party with these appetizers.

Prunes & Poultry - Moroccan Style Chicken

What to do with all those dried prunes when you become "regular" again? Try the Chintzy Constive Chef's Moroccan Chicken recipe, of course.

Combine easy-to-get pungent Middle Eastern spices like paprika and cumin, then fold in creamy yogurt, with a sprinkle of dried nuts, and finish with dried prunes (which sweeten this baked chicken entree). It's a heady, complex mix that's immensely satisfying and cleansing.

For a more interesting texture I added some nuts that you can get at your local liquor store. Peanuts work well, and my local 99c only Store also carries small packages of almonds, cashew pieces, and pistachios. For this recipe I used roasted almonds. Any local nuts will work.

 
Moroccan Chicken is assembled in a minute, then baked in the oven for an hour and a half -- done and ready to serve with minimal effort, but maximum flavor.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

• 3 chicken leg quarters - about 3 pounds. Okay to use any chicken pieces.
• 6 - 7 ounce package of pitted prunes - if you use prunes with pits, be sure to warn fellow diners!
• 1 small container of yogurt - optional. About 6 oz. Since you are cooking with fruit, any type of yogurt is okay.
• 3-4 oz. package of nuts - optional. Any type, I used roasted almonds - peanuts, cashews and pistachio are good.
• 1 whole onion - chopped.
• 1 tablespoon of garlic - chopped.
• 1 cup of stock (or water) - vegetable or chicken.
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. powered ginger - optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste - if nuts are salted, then leave it out.

Directions
In a large pot add chopped onion and garlic. Sprinkle on seasonings, including: cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add prunes, yogurt and water or stock - mix well. Place chicken pieces on top and spoon liquid mixture over chicken.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour (hi, I am the 2014 version of The 99 Cent Chef and one hour of baking should be enough - I am now wiser and older.)

 Baste chicken with sauce a few times during baking. With the chicken on top, it will brown nicely. When done, remove from oven and skim off some fat if you want to. If you are using breast meat only, then reduce baking time by 15 minutes.

* I was introduced to Chicken with Prunes by our friend Stacey. She made it simply with chicken, prunes, liquid (white wine or stock), salt and pepper. You can do this too. Just add a cup of stock to chicken pieces and prunes, then season, and bake uncovered an hour. It will taste delish.

African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings

Chicken legs are always on sale in my local Latin market, and the Chef likes his meat dark. This flavorful exotically spiced dish is a great way to use up those spices that have been sitting in the rack forever. Old spices lose their potency so by using larger amounts it will still make for a flavorful entree.

The Chef lives a couple of miles south of Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Blvd. in Los Angeles, and has had the pleasure of tasting this African cuisine. Some of the dishes are comprised of stewed vegetables, chicken and beans, and served with a 24 inch thin spongy, sour/fermented, bread called Injera, that you use instead of utensils.

Now, the Chef is not an expert on African food by any means, and has never eaten water buffalo, but sometimes the entree idea comes first -- then I have to try and figure out the recipe. "Water buffalo wings" just sounds kind of funny, and you know how I like wordplay. This dish combines the "dry rub" technique of Southern barbeque with spices common to North Africa. In this recipe I use less ground cloves than the other spices because it is so strong. If you like India tandori spiced chicken, you'll like the Chef's African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings.

 
Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken legs
• 2 tbsp. each of ground ginger, paprika and cumin 1 tbsp. of ground cloves
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix spices and rub onto each chicken leg. Roast in oven about 45 minutes or until juices run clear by piercing thickest part of chicken leg.

This winning dish was created for The 99 Cent Chef's 2009 Oscar Special video -- as a Best Actor Entree for the movie "The Visitor".