Poblano Mango Relish

Recently we received a case of Europa Chicken Mango Brats to use for a special.  We just happened to have a few pounds of poblano peppers left from a party, so I decided to put together a relish to go with the brat theme.  To play off of the mango flavor I added mango puree, micro cilantro and lime juice.  The dish really came together quickly with its simplicity.  The only thing left was to figure out what to serve it with…we needed a side dish to compliment the flavors.  For the side dish, I decided to make chips out of purple fingerling potatoes tossed with a squirt of lime juice and chili salt.

The relish would be good on any sweet brat or sausage.  You can also slap the spread on or in a burger.  I also took all of these ingredients and made a flatbread out of it with a little bacon jam and jack cheese. As for most spreads and sauces, they are much more versatile than people think.

Poblano Mango Relish Recipe

1 quart poblano peppers

2 quarts red onion, diced

¼ cup sugar

1 cup white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup fresh lime juice

½ cup mango puree

Begin by roasting the peppers over an open fire or in the oven until the skin becomes black.

Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and steam for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes, take out the peppers and use a knife to remove the skin, seeds and stem.  Dice the peppers and sauté with the onions until tender.

 

Add the sugar and cook until caramelized, then deglaze with the vinegar and simmer for a couple minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until a jam like consistency.

Remove from pan and cool.  Store the relish and use as a jam or jelly.  Enjoy!

 

Espresso Bourbon Pecan Pie Tart

As the holidays roll around each year, the obligation to keep with the long tradition of baking a pie arises.  One of my favorite pies has recently become pecan pie, of which I never liked when I was growing up.  In order to find my passion for this dish I added a couple of my favorite ingredients, bourbon and espresso!!!!

Espresso Bourbon Pecan Pie Tart Recipe

3 tablespoons butter

½ vanilla bean

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

3 tablespoons corn syrup

3 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon espresso

1 cup toasted pecans

-In a pan, heat the butter until it begins to foam and become brown.  Remove from the heat and swirl in the seeds from the vanilla bean scraped out as well as the bean.  Let it cool for 5 minutes.

-Remove the pod and stir in the brown sugar, honey, corn syrup and eggs then transfer into a mixing bowl.

-Fold in the flour and salt then stir in the rum and espresso.

-Arrange the pecans in the pre-baked pie shell or tart shells however you would like.  For a more uniform look arrange side by side in 2 layers around the shell or just toss them in and level them our for a more rustic look.  Pour the filling over the pecans evenly.

-Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, rotate and continue until golden brown.

-Remove the pie/tarts from the oven and cool on a rack at room temperature.  Top with whip cream and serve.

However or whenever you celebrate the holidays, just think back to the first time you had a pecan pie and what it meant to you and how you felt.  Now you can feel that way whenever you want.  Have fun and enjoy!