Cayenne is one of the well-known chilli peppers. It comes from the Capsicum genus, making it a type of capsicum pepper. This means that cayenne can be used as an ingredient in many hot and spicy dishes.
Uses of Cayenne Pepper
1) Chilli Con Carne
Chili con carne, which literally translates to "chili with meat" is a spicy dish that uses cayenne pepper as its main ingredient. It is a popular dish in Mexico and the United States where it was introduced by Spanish immigrants during the 1800s. Although chili con carne has become very common worldwide, there are many different versions of this dish. Some versions use cow intestine rather than beef while others use beans and kidney beans instead of rice and tomatoes. The Mexican version typically includes spare ribs or short ribs in their chili con carne.
2) Wonton Soup
Cayenne pepper is not only popular for its use in spicy dishes. It actually makes an excellent ingredient in soup recipes as well. One of the most famous soups to use cayenne, is wonton soup, especially wonton noodle soup that originates from China. The spice adds a kick and flavour to the broth, which complements the other ingredients perfectly.
Cayenne pepper also adds flavour to other ingredients like chicken, beef, and seafood in this type of soup.
In fact, spicy food is very popular among Chinese people. This is because traditional medicine has always recommended the use of hot peppers for various health reasons. In many areas, such as Sichuan province in China, capsicum has been an important part of recipes for hundreds of years already. One famous dish that uses cayenne pepper is Spicy Hotpot or Malatou Chao in Chinese. It got its name from the fact that it contains a lot of chili peppers which makes it extremely spicy but delicious at the same time.
3) Meatloaf with Beef and Cayenne pepper
Meatloaf is a popular dish that can be eaten both for dinner and lunch. You may think that adding cayenne to it will make it too spicy, however, some people prefer to add this type of pepper in order to give meatloaf a sweeter or spicier flavour. Adding the capsicum will not only make your food more delicious, but it can also help you lose weight because many studies have shown that capsicum is great for burning fat. In fact, there are many recipes out there that include cayenne pepper as its main ingredient, such as beef meatloaf with balsamic vinegar recipe. Using cayenne in your meatloaf is actually very easy, and it can even be done at home. All you need is:
4 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream (optional)
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
Steps: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put all the ingredients except for the ground beef into a food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped together. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure that every ingredient is processed evenly. Then add the ground beef into a large mixing bowl and stir with a spoon until well combined. Then add your mixture into a baking pan that you have lined with a piece of foil and bake it for about 30 minutes or until the center is firm. If you want, once your meatloaf is finished baking, you can top it with some tomato sauce before serving.
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
And there we go…a delicious meatloaf! Remember, cayenne pepper should not be used in large quantities because it has a tendency to heat up the food too much. Therefore, if you add more pepper than needed, then all you will taste is the spiciness instead of the actual flavour that you are trying to achieve from the other ingredients. However, this does not mean that the capsicum is not good for you. In fact, it can help you with some health conditions and give added flavour to your foods!
4) Roasted Oysters with Cayenne Pepper
Oyster is another seafood dish that you will find very delicious when cooked using cayenne pepper. This cooking ingredient adds a kick and extra flavour to the oysters, as well as making them more succulent. One of the best examples of this recipe is roasted oysters with cayenne pepper. Here's what you need to prepare:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper-it's important to use fresh or dried chilli peppers because once it becomes old, then it won't have the same effect on food.
5) Fried Scallops with Cayenne Pepper
Scallops are a type of seafood that is very popular among many people because it can give out both sweet and spicy flavours when prepared properly. Usually, capsicum like cayenne or chili pepper is used to make this dish even more delicious. Fried scallops with cayenne peppers will taste really good if you try making them yourself using the following directions:
Start by mixing the flour with salt and toss the cleaned scallop pieces in that mixture until they're evenly coated. Then put your olive oil into a large cast-iron skillet that has been heated up for about two minutes at high heat. Place each of the dredged scallop pieces into the pan in an even layer. Then you need to cook each side of the scallop for about five minutes, or until it's golden brown and cooked through. When this is done, take out your scallops from the skillet and pour one tablespoon of water along with a half teaspoon of salt to start making your sauce. Once that mixture starts boiling, reduce the heat on it and add some fresh cayenne pepper.
6) Potato Salad with Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper can actually be used not only in meat but also as part of salads such as potato salad recipes. The capsicum is great for increasing flavour without adding excess fat because it does not contain any cholesterol, unlike other cooking ingredients like bacon grease or butter. To prepare this delicious side dish, you will need to get the following ingredients:
- eggs (1 per person) - 1/2 tsp salt - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Steps: Once the 1/4 inch cubes are finished, drain them on a paper towel and then put all of your potatoes and onions into a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Make sure that it's mixed well so that all the ingredients in there are evenly covered. Then add in some cracked pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, celery seeds, Worcestershire sauce, and salt if needed. Mix everything again so that your potato salad has an even flavour throughout. Cover it with plastic wrap or aluminium foil and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.
Once your potato salad is done, then you can arrange it on a dish and top it with some boiled eggs cut into rings or with hard-boiled egg halves. Do not forget to add the cayenne pepper because this ingredient will really enhance the flavour of this wonderful dish!
7) Cayenne Pepper & Orange Juice Smoothie
One of the many other foods that you can make using capsicum is the orange juice smoothie. In order to make yours extra tasty, why don't you consider adding a bit more kick? Why don't you try adding cayenne pepper instead? Here's how: Start by putting two cups of orange juice (freshly squeezed is best) into your blender along with one tablespoon of honey, a third cup of yoghurt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Next, you should blend all these items together at high speed to make sure that they are mixed properly. Add in some ice cubes if it's needed and a pinch of salt as well to give this smoothie more flavour. After blending everything, pour the smoothie into glasses or mugs and add a straw for serving.
8) Cayenne Pepper & Honey Remedy For Coughs (Must Read!)
This spicy condiment is also believed by many people to be great in alleviating and healing coughs. It acts as an expectorant since it can help clear up mucus from the upper airways, leading to less coughing. Through a chemical reaction that takes place in our body when we take it, capsicum can even help reduce cold-related congestion. However, this capsicum remedy for coughs (must read!) is best used under the supervision of your physician, since it's been reported that there have been cases where overuse of cayenne or chilli pepper has caused adverse reactions like heart palpitations and hypotension.
There are a lot of dishes out there that use Cayenne pepper. We’ve compiled some popular ones here for your reference, and we hope you enjoy the taste! Feel free to try one or all of these recipes at home and see which one suits your tastes best! If you love cooking as much as I do, then this might be just what you need to spice up your day!