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I used to admire chile heads, people who use hot sauce like it’s pepper and order their Thai curry spicy without hesitation.
I was completely turned off by spicy food for years, even mixing up a 1-to-1 ratio of sour cream to mild salsa for myself.
I think I first came to embrace the hot stuff when I experienced bibimbap with a healthy serving of gochujang, Korean chile paste. Chiles combined with pickled veggies was an experience that changed me — the heat had me refilling my glass of water several times, but I wasn’t deterred.
I started identifying spicy as a taste, not only a sensation. And I started to associate strong flavors with heat because they complement each other.
Over the years I’ve slowly, very slowly, increased my tolerance for spicy foods, thanks to my mom. Now, while my dad taps out early, his eyes watering, we just chuckle and dig in. My daughter is well-accustomed to spicy foods and always informs me when the Sriracha is gone.
Chiles aren’t always spicy. Many have deep flavor that is nothing like a bell pepper, yet almost as mild. Generally, seeds and inner sections are spicier than the rest, so if you’re not quite ready to go full-on with your heat, avoid those parts of any pepper.
In this dish, poblano and Anaheim peppers are the base of the flavor. Adding jalapenos provides some oomph. Roast all three, then add them one at a time to the sauce, tasting it as you go.
My daughter ate up three batches of this recipe, and exclaimed every time how much she loved it. It’s a great enchilada sauce and salsa. The potatoes help tame the flavor if you’re concerned about challenging your palate.
But when it comes to heat, keep at it. A wide world of new dishes and flavors will be opened up to you if you work to develop your tolerance for spicy foods.
GREEN CHILE POTATO BURRITOS
- 4 large tortillas
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups diced potatoes, cooked (see note)
- 1/2 cup pinto beans
- 1 cup green chile sauce (at right)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 cup grated cheese, any type
Heat tortillas in a large skillet over medium-high, lightly browning both sides. Remove to serving dish.
Add oil to skillet. Once it is hot, add potatoes and beans. Spread into a single layer if possible and let cook 3 minutes, until one side browns. Flip and let other side brown.
Add chile sauce; stir. Season with salt.
Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese and about 1/2 cup potato mixture. Drizzle with chile sauce and roll into a burrito. Serve immediately, or wrap in foil and freeze for a quick meal later. Serves 4.
>> NOTE: Frozen diced potatoes work great for this, or boil raw diced potatoes for a few minutes; they should still hold their shape well.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt): 550 calories, 27 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 62 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 18 g protein.
GREEN CHILE SAUCE
- 2 poblano chile peppers
- 2 Anaheim chile peppers
- 1 to 3 jalapeno chile peppers
- 5 to 6 tomatillos
- Oil or cooking oil spray, to brush peppers
- 2 to 6 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup cilantro, loosely packed (stems are OK)
- 1 tablespoon lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat broiler with oven rack 6 to 8 inches from heat.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Place chiles and whole tomatillos on sheet pan and brush or spray them with oil. Broil 5 to 7 minutes, until skins are well browned and blistered, but not burnt. Remove from oven and let cool.
Carefully remove skins from peppers, then stems and seeds (you may want to wear gloves to handle the jalapenos). Depending on your desired level of heat, you could leave some seeds in the jalapenos. Fewer seeds, less spicy. Leave tomatillos whole.
Combine peppers, tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, lime and salt in a blender and puree. Makes about 2 cups.
Approximate nutritional information, per 2 tablespoons: 25 calories, 1 g fat, no saturated fat or cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 1 g protein.
Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com. Her column runs on the last Wednesday of the month. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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