A Chilli Update

I got online last night to do a couple of odd jobs on the site and answer a few questions and noticed that chillies-down-under.com has hit a couple of milestones since Saturday.

These are;

• appearing on the first page of a Google search for chillies Australia - only number 10, but not a bad start


• reaching 150 newsletter subscribers - from countries including Britain, South Africa, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Zambia & Australia.

I thought that was a great result despite having been back on-line for only about 6 weeks.

As a type of mini-celebration I've included below the recipes that I was going to put in next months newsletter.

These are ideal for the barbecue, which is the style of cooking that is on my mind now as Perth is definitely coming into warmer weather which means much more outside dining for the next 6-8 months.

Now that I have updated the Growing Your Own Chillies pages I'm intending to focus on greatly expanding the Barbecue section of the site over the next six weeks. So check back now and again and you will find a lot more information available.

OK, here are the recipes;

Grilled Lamb Chops With Pine Nuts
makes 4 serves

This is a nice, mild lamb dish for the barbecue. Here in Perth it's definitely the start of the outdoor dining season again so that's what these recipes reflect.

I really enjoy adding a smoky flavour to this one by throwing a couple of pieces of pieces of water soaked mesquite or apple wood on the coals or heat distributor.

• 1 tablsp red Big Jim or other New Mexican chilli, dried and powdered (or very finely diced, if fresh)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 8 tablsp pine nuts, roasted in a frying pan first
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 8 lamb chops

Put all the ingredients into your food processor, except the lamb, and blend to a smooth paste.

Spread this all over the chops and let them marinade for about an hour, outside of the fridge.

Grill the chops, turning them occasionally until done, about 7 to 10 minutes a side.

Jalapeno-Stuffed Steaks
makes 6 serves

Any type of chilli can be substituted for the jalapenos in this recipe. Also, the stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated.

I've used fillet steak below because it is really nice, however, any thick steaks you can get your hands on will be fine.

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 10 jalapenos, seeds and stems removed, chopped
• ½ cup grated tasty cheddar cheese
• 1½ kg fillet of beef, cut into 6 thick steaks
• Freshly ground black pepper

Saute the onion, jalapenos, and garlic in a little oil until just soft. Remove from the heat, let it cool, and then mix in the cheddar.

Slice into the steaks from the edge, creating a pocket for the stuffing. Push in the chilli-cheese mixture and close the opening with a toothpick, if necessary.

Season each steak with salt and pepper and then grill to the desired doneness.

Wishing you flavour and health

Nigel

PS - I am also spending any spare time I have putting the finishing touches to a range of chillies-down-under.com recipe ebooks containing the absolute cream of the chilli recipes that I have used over the last 20 years.

PSS - My wife just suggested that I give away some copies for people to review. So, to the first 5 people to reply to this email I will give a free copy of the first two of these ebooks if you are happy to provide a review that I can use to promote them when I eventually release them on-line.

PSSS - I am extremely proud of these books and I think you will find them a great resource and easily appreciate the effort that has gone into them. They contain some of my best secrets, such as how to consistently make tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth BBQ spare-ribs that your friends will rave about.