Pepper Experiment #1

I have a tradition with my friend Sarah. It may not sound like much, but it's a great time, every time. We get together in the afternoon then eat and binge watch a TV series on Netflix. We started with ordering pizza delivery but have realized that it's more fun to cook. We usually get through an hour or so of TV, then play in the kitchen as a break. Yesterday we made it through a full season of Californication and a big bag of calamari. 
As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite methods while cooking is to take a tried and true recipe or dish and switch up one or two ingredients, just to see how it turns out. Well, yesterday Sarah specifically asked if I still had any of my Scorpion Oil and garlic, so I knew where we'd be starting. I love the speed and texture of stir fry; it seemed like a perfect fit with a bunch of calamari and a few dollops of frozen pesto. Of course we'd be throwing in fresh veggies like bell pepper, yellow onion, and stake tomato. A fast variation on baked sweet potato "fries" was a natural side.

While the sweet potato baked we chopped veggies and added them to the calamari with a splash of lemon juice and Scorpion oil, plus lots of fresh minced garlic. So far, tried and true.

Here's where the experiment came in. Ignore the bottle below, it's good olive oil, but that's not experimental, that's required. What magical ingredient is in the bag, you ask? They may look like regular scorpion peppers, but they're special. I had an Amazon gift card, so I took a risk and ordered these tangy little pieces of hellfire. They're called Jay's Peach Ghost Scorpions, and they are wonderful (and were hybridized here in Pennsylvania). Sarah and I each tried a single dried flake: brutal heat, but sweet and slightly tangy flavor. I de-seeded half a pepper and carefully minced it to toss into the pan.

What you can't see to well below is the other addition I got with my Amazon card: Greenoodles. Instead of going with our usual yellow rice as a base, I'd been dying to try these crazy green ramen noodles. They're actually good for you, unlike your standard pre-fried sodium bombs. Made with Moroheiya, they're packed with B vitamins and fiber, so I'm happy to say they also have an awesome texture and pretty good sauce cling. I'll be diving into possibilities with Greenoodle in the near future.

The day counts as a success. As Sarah put it, "Sometimes I wonder if we're just throwing food at other food. Sometimes I suspect we are practicing some form of kitchen wizardry and invoking spirits of culinary magic."