Summertime great for heat, spice

Join “Jayni’s Kitchen” this week for “Hot Food in the Summertime.”

Host Jayni Carey prepares four hot dishes, some listed here, and a dessert to cool you down.

A new show airs at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. The show also is broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday.

4 poblano chile peppers

CHICKEN-STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS

Chicken-stuffed poblano peppers

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seed, coarsely crushed

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

3 tablespoons raisins

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Chicken-stuffed poblano peppers

2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup whipping cream

Salt and white pepper, to taste

Put the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them about 6 inches under the oven-broiler. Broil the peppers, turning occasionally, until the skins blister and blacken. Place them in a sealed plastic bag and let stand for about 30 minutes for easier peeling. Peel the peppers. Cut a lengthwise slit in one side of each pepper, keeping the pepper intact. Remove the seeds.

Filling: Place the cooked chicken in a bowl. Add the onion, cumin, toasted pine nuts, raisins, cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Fill the peppers generously with the mixture.

Place the peppers, filled side up, in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated throughout. While the peppers are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce.

Creamy Tomato Sauce: Cook the tomatoes in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they break down and begin to thicken. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Pour the tomato mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the pureed tomato to a saucepan. Add the cream and simmer gently over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper.

To serve, drizzle some of the tomato sauce over the stuffed peppers. Serves 4.

To toast the pine nuts: Place the pine nuts in a small stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat. Shake the pan occasionally until the pine nuts are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

SHRIMP WITH SWEET PICANTE PEPPERS

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound medium shrimp (26-30 count), shelled and deveined

1/3 cup sweet piquante peppers, sliced (from a 14-ounce jar whole sweet piquante peppers in marinade)

3 tablespoons piquante pepper marinade

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, snipped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to soften. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add the sweet piquante peppers and 3 tablespoons of the marinade and cook for about 1 minute more, or until the shrimp is cooked. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the shrimp and peppers with fresh cilantro.

Serve the shrimp and peppers with baguette slices for an appetizer, or over rice for a main course. Makes 6 appetizers or 3 to 4 main courses.

Sweet piquante peppers come from South Africa and are tiny, bright red peppers with a sweet and spicy flavor.

SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN

2 whole pork tenderloins, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chipotle Marinade and Dressing:

1 7 1/2-ounce can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, snipped

Trim the pork tenderloins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the pork tenderloins in a baking dish.

Chipotle Marinade and Dressing: Place the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a blender or food processor. (For a slightly milder marinade and dressing, remove all but 2 to 3 of the peppers from the adobo sauce.) Add the lime juice, salt and olive oil and blend until smooth. Divide the mixture in half; reserve half for dressing.

Pour half of the marinade over the tenderloins and turn to coat with the mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

To grill the pork tenderloins, place them over high heat on a gas grill, or hot charcoals. Cover the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn the tenderloins over and grill them over indirect heat for 8 to 10 minutes more, turning occasionally to brown all sides evenly, until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees for medium, or until desired doneness is achieved. Place the tenderloins on a platter, cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

To serve, slice the tenderloins into 1/2-inch slices. To make the dressing, whisk the mayonnaise into the reserved marinade and drizzle it over the pork. Garnish with fresh cilantro.