Chipotle Ground Red Pepper

My recent recipe for Santa Fe "Chicken" Sandwiches included an ingredient that is not familiar to everyone.  I ordered this spice online from Penzey's Spices, a fantastic spice purveyor.  It can be purchased in supermarkets as well.

Chipotle ground red pepper is a dried version of smoked red jalepeños.  It adds a deep smoky flavor to whatever dish you use it in.  The sauce on the Santa Fe Sandwiches has just the right amount of heat with only 1/4 teaspoon used.  You can vary the amount of heat to  suit your personal preference.  The sauce is so tasty, I've made it twice again, and even used it on other types of sandwiches.  Give this exciting spice a try!

A real find!

This is a recipe blog, but you know there is a lot more to cooking than recipes.  I must share with you a product I found that is nothing less that revolutionary in my kitchen.  It is the Egg Muffin Pan by Nordic Ware.

This is a microwave pan that cooks eggs or egg substitute in under two minutes.  You can add cheese or veggies or meat to the raw egg or leave it plain.  Pop it in the microwave for one minute, take it out and give it a stir, then put it back in the microwave for 40 seconds to a minute longer.  Voila!  You have perfectly shaped scrambled eggs to eat as is or on a sandwich.

It is nice when there's no skillet to wash after cooking eggs.  The Egg Muffin Pan cleans up beautifully and can even go on the top rack of the dishwasher.  I bought mine at WalMart for $3.29.  What a bargain!