Some Like it Hot

Looking for a bit of adventure? Want to dial up on the spice in your life? Crank up the heat with some hot sauces from around the world. Just a single product can turn a relatively simple dish into an international delight. Whether you like a mild heat or the really hot stuff, sauces give you the option to spice up your dish from a 1 to a 10, depending on your palate. 

Purchasing a jar of sauce is a relatively small investment with great returns. When exploring new cuisines, multiple seasonings and spices are often required to create the desired flavor. It may only require 1 to 2 tablespoons of a sauce to transform an ordinary dish into a complex, rich and flavorful experience. 

For example, harissa is a North African spice paste with a fiery and garlicky flavor that is traditionally served with bread, stews, and couscous dishes. Harissa is typically made with a blend of hot chili peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices like caraway, cumin and coriander and mint. 

Numerous Ways to Enjoy Harissa – hot or mild: 

• Blend into ketchup or mayo for a zingy condiment.
• Mix into a salad dressing for a spicy kick. 
• Rub on chicken or beef.
• Add a dollop to a breakfast sandwich. 
• Whisk harissa into yogurt to make a hot-and-cold sauce for grilled meats or dips.
• Stir it into scrambled eggs. 
• Toss into roasted or grilled vegetables.
• Mix a spoonful into hummus.
• Stir into softened butter and slather it on an ear of corn. 
• Spread on sandwiches, either as in or mixed in mayo.

Try this delicious White Bean and Harissa Chili that was featured in our nutrition event last month. 

Harissa and White Bean Chili*

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 small red onion, diced 
• 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded/diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/diced – optional
• 1 10 oz container of cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 -2 Tablespoons harissa, depending on preference
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 15 oz cans white beans, cannellini or Great Northern Beans, drained/rinsed
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 3 packed cups baby spinach
• 2 limes, 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges for serving
• Yogurt or sour cream for serving
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• Garnish options: ¼ c packed cilantro or parsley, chopped or torn, cubed avocado, 1/2c crumbled feta or grated parmesan for serving

Preparation:

1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and diced jalapeño, and season with salt (optional). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to soften in color and texture, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add the tomatoes, season lightly with salt (optional) and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst, 6 to 7 minutes, lowering the heat if the onions threaten to burn.
3. Stir in the harissa, cumin, oregano and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
4. Stir in the soy sauce, scraping up anything on the bottom of the pot, until combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add the white beans and broth and raise the heat to bring it to a gentle boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then cook until the broth thickens and the beans become soft and creamy, stirring occasionally, about 12 to 15 minutes. Smash any remaining whole tomatoes against the side of the pot. 
6. Stir in the spinach in batches until wilted. 
7. Squeeze in the lime halves, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide among bowls and top each with a spoonful of yogurt, followed by the avocado, cilantro, feta and jalapeño rounds. Serve with the lime wedges.

*recipe adapted from NY Times 

Estimated Nutrition Information – based on 4 servings – about 1 ½ cups each (without optional ingredients): 508 calories, 20 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 865 mg sodium 66 grams carbohydrate,  18 grams fiber, 22 grams protein

Another popular sauce is siracha, also known as “rooster sauce.” Sriracha sauce is named after the small town of Sri Racha in Thailand. It is often served as a condiment in Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese restaurants throughout the United States. This multi-purpose hot sauce, made from red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt, and sugar is hot and tangy with just a hint of sweetness, setting it apart from the typical hot sauces. 

• Sriracha’s original use was as a dipping sauce. Squeeze some into a small bowl or squirt straight from the bottle onto your favorite foods.
• Mix some Sriracha into sour cream, mayonnaise, or cream cheese-based dips for a little kick.
• Sriracha, often served with pho in Vietnamese restaurants, can be added to ramen, tomato soup, or gazpacho. Cream-based soups, like chowders, also benefit from Sriracha’s kick.
• Add Sriracha to teriyaki flavored marinades, BBQ sauces, meatballs, meatloaf, or chicken wings. 
• Sriracha works well mixed with anything creamy, like macaroni and cheese, cheese dips, cheese balls, or scrambled, fried, or deviled eggs.
• Sriracha sauce adds a new twist to tomato juice and it brings a Bloody Mary to a new level. 
• This Bang Bang Sauce recipe made with sriracha sauce brings plenty of flavor to chicken, shrimp or a vegetable dip.
• Don’t miss these Sriracha Chicken Drumsticks. Full of flavor and a perfect dish to bring to a potluck or to enjoy while watching the football playoffs! 

To round out this hot trio, don’t forget about habanero sauce. It is made from a blend of habanero peppers, papaya, mango and spices. The name Habanero means “from Habana” which is in reference to Havana, Cuba. This Jamaican-style sauce adds a “sweet heat” with a Caribbean flair to any dish. 

• Add habanero sauce to Greek yogurt or mayo to bring a twist to traditional chicken salad.
• Mix habanero sauce into guacamole or add a dollop to a plate of nachos.
• Spice up hot chocolate by stirring in a bit of habanero sauce. Top it with whipped cream and sip away.
• Splash this tangy hot sauce over a taco, burrito bowl or taco salad.
• Kick up your condiments by adding a squirt of sriracha sauce to ketchup or mustard.
• Make Palomita con Salso, aka popcorn with hot sauce. This spicy snack is a popular street food in Mexico. To make at home, simply drizzle some sriracha sauce over your popcorn. 
• Try this Mango Habanero Salsa. Serve with chips or use as a topper to fish or chicken. Enjoy immediately or make ahead and refrigerate to let the flavor mellow for few hours. 

There you have it – some popular hot sauces from around the world. Hot sauces can be added to most traditional dressings, marinades, dips, condiments, and dishes to fire up tastes and flavors. Mix hot sauces right into a recipe or serve on the side, whatever your tastebuds desire!