By Hannah Marcotti
You’ve seen those itty bitty red peppers hanging out at the Markets looking like bright red lanterns. Do you walk past with intimidation or buy a couple and let them rot on your window sill? In this house we eat them…burp…blow our nose…take another bite! To answer your next question, no the kids do not join in the fiery fun, yet! I make this recipe with just mayo and any of the other add-ins the kids enjoy and then add the capers and pepper paste.
One of my favorite ways to eat fillings is in a collard or nori wrap. To prepare a collard for wrapping you want to wash it and then rub it with a little bit of oil and salt and then dry it off. You can prepare a whole bunch at a time and wrap up the left-overs for the next day. Make sure to cut off the tough bit of stem at the bottom and just about ¼ of the way up the leaf. Nori is easier, just take out of the package.
Eating hot peppers in the summer, when they grow locally, helps to fight out the heat that your body is holding in. They also break up the mucus your body accumulates from eating meat, eggs, dairy and beans. So go ahead and sweat it out with some of your favorite little lanterns.
Salmon Salad with Habaneros, Capers and Kalamatas
1 ½ pounds salmon
1 habanero pepper
Olive oil, salt, pepper to taste
In an oiled roasting dish, add salmon (skin side down) and habanero pepper. Cover with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes depending on how you like your salmon. Allow to cool. When pepper is cooled, peel and remove seeds. Cut up flesh so it forms a paste. Remove bones from salmon and crumble it into a medium mixing bowl.
Add-Ins
¼ cup of mayo (I use grapeseed oil veganaisse)
1 tsp mustard
½ cup finely diced celery
1 TB capers
¼ cup chopped kalamata olives
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp habanero paste
Salt and pepper
Sliced tomatoes and lettuce leaves
Mix together in bowl and serve on collard or nori wraps. The art of eating these is to get the wrap just right. Think of a burrito when wrapping them. You want to make sure you have one closed end so you don’t loose your fillings.
Hannah Marcotti is a Holistic Health Counselor who loves creating exciting recipes and inspiring others to get into their kitchens and cook with whole foods. Through her counseling business Hannah’s Harvest, (www.hannahsharvest.com) she hopes to create a ripple effect of health and happiness in Providence and beyond. She shares her musings on life with three children and searching for that next perfect meal on her blog, Hannah’s Harvest Thoughts. (www.hannahs-harvest.blogspot.com)
Yum.