Flavor Focus – Chipotle Olive Oil

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When you think of the word “Chipotle” I bet I can guess what comes into your mind… burritos, tacos and all around Mexican food deliciousness. While the chain burrito place has made the word synonymous with burritos, what Chipotle really means, according to our friends at Wikipedia, is a smoke dried jalapeno pepper. Usually chipotle peppers are super red and ripe jalapenos that are smoked over wood for several days until all the moisture has left the pepper and all that is left is a dried pepper, looking much like a raisin or a prune.  According to Wikipedia, approximately 10 pounds of jalapenos make one pound of dried chipotle pepper.

On the heat scale, chipotles are among some of the more mild chilis, ranking between 3,000-10,000 scoville heat units. Chipotles are very popular in Mexican cooking, appearing most often in powder form and added to sauces, particularly adobo sauce.

Our Chipotle Olive Oil carries with it the same smokey heat that makes dried chipotle chilis so popular.  Here are 5 easy ways to use the Chipotle Olive Oil in your cooking

1. Breakfast burritos – scramble or fry your eggs in the Chipotle olive oil and add to beans, cheese or hash browns and roll in your favorite tortilla. To add some really great flavor, saute all the ingredients in the chipotle olive oil — you won’t need hot sauce!
2. Taco Salad – I love marinating chicken in our Taco Taco Spice Blend and the Chipotle Olive Oil before cooking. Saute the chicken and top your favorite salad ingredients. No matter what you put in the salad, it will taste like the best taco salad ever!
3. Salad Dressing – pair with the Raspberry or Cherry Balsamic for a sweet and spicy dressing.
4. Salsa – chop your tomatoes and onions, drizzle the chipotle over the top to add some heat. To really make things interesting, add some Peach or Pineapple Balsamic to sweeten your salsa and give it a tropical flair.
5. Marinades – one of my all time favorite marinades is a combination of the Chipotle Olive Oil and Maple Balsamic Vinegar. It easily takes the place of BBQ sauce for any of your favorite meats on the grill.

And one bonus tip – when steaming rice, saute your rice in some of the chipotle olive oil before adding the water, letting the oil coat all the rice. The flavor absorbs into the rice making instant Mexican rice![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]