all-purpose jalapeño sauce

May 24, 2009 by jess

this is a multi-purpose sauce that can be used on quesadillas, paninis, burgers, etc… it is pictured on my southwest chicken grilled panini.

1/4 c mayo
2 tsp. canned jalapeños, finely chopped (omit the seeds to dial the heat down a notch)
2 tsp. juice from canned jalapeños
3/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder
dash of salt

combine all ingredients in a small container using a spatula

i create a quadruple batch (or so) and leave it in the fridge. it keeps just as long as regular mayonnaise. below are some tasty ideas that utilize this sauce quite well:

southwest chicken grilled panini

bread (i prefer bread fresh from the local bakery, you can slice it however you like it.)
butter
grilled chicken pieces
bacon
tomato
onion, thinly sliced
shredded cheddar cheese

preheat griddle
butter the outside slices of bread.
on one slice of bread, place the ingredients in the following order: chicken, bacon, onion, tomato, cheese. place on the griddle
spread the jalapeño sauce on the opposite slice, top the sandwich.
grill until golden and crispy

admittedly, the panini was inspired by my chicken quesadillas. i still think that the sandwich is a good variation from the original:

chicken quesadillas

burrito size flour tortillas
grilled chicken pieces
bacon (optional)
tomato (optional)
onion (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese
velveeta cheese, sliced and halved into triangles

on one half of the tortilla, place the ingredients in the following order: chicken, bacon, onion, tomato, shredded cheese, two triangles of velveeta cheese
on the other half, spread the sauce
fold in half and place on griddle. grill until both sides are browned
quarter the quesadilla

enjoy!