I Have Conquered the Chipotle!

Not Chipotle (just to clarify). The chipotle pepper. It's been an ingredient in countless recipes I've made (or wanted to make) over the years. But chipotles scared me a little bit. I have a long history of acid reflux. Through trial and (much painful) error, I have been able to identify (and avoid) certain foods which are certain to trigger an attack. This includes: tomato paste (my public enemy #1) and anything containing tomato paste; thick slices of raw onion (but thinly sliced and minced is okay); the green veins in garlic (I have to cut them out); coffee (*sigh*); cayenne pepper; red pepper flakes; and anything hotter than a jalapeno, in general. Chipotles seemed to fit into that "anything hotter than a jalapeno" category, even though, technically, a chipotle is a jalapeno. It's just a jalapeno that is hotter than normal. Are you confused? Yeah, me too.

However, I've been doing really well with my reflux as of late, and I was feeling brave today. I decided to test the waters and try a new recipe from Appetite for Reduction, the Spicy Blue Potato & Corn Salad:

I wasn't going to let a little thing like a chipotle keep me from trying all the recipes in AFR. I'm on a roll and there ain't nothing stopping me now! :)

This is a hearty salad of fresh corn, potatoes, pinto beans, and red onion, tossed with a smoky, spicy chipotle dressing. This salad required a little bit of prep, but I was able to get it all done during my son's nap. I let the salad chill for several hours before eating to let the flavors meld.

At dinner time, I must admit, I was a little hesitant to take my first bite. But once I did, I was so relieved - it had a kick to it, yes, but it was more tongue-tingling than tummy-tormenting :) The dressing packed a lot of smoky flavor and was a nice match with the chilled potatoes and corn. I served it over some baby romaine, and both my hubby and I enjoyed it very much.

I'll be interested to see if any reflux kicks in later tonight :)

For lunch today, I made a spin on Kristen Suzanne's Blueberry Cardamom Breakfast Smoothie. I wanted to make it a little more filling, so I added four chopped romaine leaves, some hemp seeds, and some hemp protein powder. It hit the spot on a hot day!