Resolutions

The New Year is upon us and with it comes new resolutions, new tastes, and new recipes. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, incorporate more organic foods into your diet, or provide better tasting meals for your family, we have you covered! Download our recipe app for free at the iTunes® store. We offer nearly 1,600 recipes to meet your needs this New Year.

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Pinterest

Do you pin? Pinterest is a content-sharing service that allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects of interest to their pinboard. Simply Organic is on Pinterest, sharing a number of interesting things each week. Simply Organic is also on Facebook and Twitter. Join in the fun. We’d love to hear from you.

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Cooking With Chilies

With their dynamic personalities, chili peppers deliver heat in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, tastes, aromas, and potency. Universally popular, they're enjoyed for their ability to perk up virtually any dish. Check out this article and start cooking with chilies!

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Seasoning Spotlight — Cayenne

Our spotlight this month is on cayenne – a multi-dimensional spice that is a favorite for wintertime use, especially when making chili.

Background
This colorful, ground chili pepper will turn up the heat and color in your cooking. The term "cayenne" is often used to refer to any ground pepper, but true cayenne (which takes its name from the French Guinea city of Cayenne) is actually a particular type of chili pepper — about four to 12 inches long, thin, and very pungent.

There are several scales for measuring the hotness of chilies. What they actually measure is the capsaicin content, the crystalline, pungent substance that gives chilies their fire. The most popular scale is the Scoville Organoleptic test, which assigns a number between 0 and 300,000 heat units (the higher the number, the hotter the pepper). Cayenne typically measures between 30,000 and 90,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. Simply Organic Cayenne Pepper tends to fall toward the milder end of the heat unit scale.

Uses
Cayenne adds color and flavor to Southwestern salsas, Indian chutneys, Thai curries, Mexican enchiladas, Chinese stir-fries, Texan chili con carnes, Cajun hot sauces, and many other recipes. Cayenne provides an easy way to perk up stir-fries, soups, stews, grains, meat or vegetable recipes — just about any savory dish.

History
In his search for peppercorns, Columbus found "agi" pods, which the Indians used in cooking. Although technically these pods have no relation to black peppers, the Spanish called the pods "peppers," and the name stuck. Early explorers sent the seeds back to Europe, where their popularity quickly spread; soon chili peppers were commonly used to flavor bland food all over Europe. Like many cayenne lovers today, both the Edwardians and the Victorians placed chili powder shakers on their tables.

Next month we’ll learn about allspice, which imparts the aroma and flavor of a trio of warm seasonings — cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg – yet is a single spice.

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Recipe of the Month - Spiced Nuts

This recipe features a delicious blend of nuts, seeds and spices (including cayenne) and is a welcomed addition to any wintertime gathering.

Ingredients
nuts and seeds
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
2/3 cup shelled pecans
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

spice mix
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

simple glaze
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar

Directions
Toast nuts and seeds in a dry sauté pan; set aside.

Mix all spice mix ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.

Bring water, butter and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Pour over nuts and seeds, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until well coated. Transfer nuts and seeds to the spice mixture bowl and toss to coat with spices. Spread on parchment paper to cool.

Nutrition Facts
As prepared, each serving contains 150 calories, 14g total fat, 5mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 4g total carbohydrate and 4g protein.