My relationship with spicy food has not always been a positive one. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up eating foods with a high heat factor; contrary to what some think, Cuban food is generally not spicy. But, I did experience a little -- let's call it, trauma -- as a kid that I like to refer to as The Jalapeno Incident of 1990 that could certainly have had something to do with the aversion.
During a family Disney trip, my dad accidentally mistook jalapenos for pickles as he loaded up my burger with toppings at a lunch buffet. How you mistake the two, I have no idea... but if you know my dad, you know the flub is entirely feasible for him.
Anyway, I took one bite of that "loaded" burger and I.Saw.Stars. First, a strange tingling. Then an intense burning that started at my lips and spread like wildfire through my entire mouth within seconds. Five alarm.
Though I was old enough to communicate, I couldn't even verbalize the problem because my tongue was too busy feeling like it licked a smoldering log. So I cried. Maybe even whimpered. Needless to say, it was a while before I {purposely} ventured into the world of spicy food again. {And an even longer while before I let my dad fix my burgers for me. Parenting fail.}
I'm happy to say that since then, I've "warmed up" to spicy foods, so to speak. I eased in with "quick heat" like wasabi and horseradish, then graduated to using small amounts of cayenne and red pepper flakes in my cooking, and finally dove into the world of hot sauce.
Now, I actually like adding some spice to my food. So there's hope for you if you, too, have been scarred from a bad jalapeno experience.
This Hot Cajun Shrimp Dip is a great place to dip your toe into the hot sauce and test the waters. {Ew, not literally.} Not only does the creamy cream cheese help to tame the heat, but you can also control your spice level by adding more or less hot sauce to the dip. {The folks at Tabanero send me a sampler pack and I went with the original recipe, but they also have Extra Hot and Sweet & Spicy.}
I can see this shrimp dip served up on SuperBowl Sunday or even for upcoming Mardi Gras celebrations... just make sure you warn your guests so there are no unwanted surprises! Unlike the infamous burger, I have a feeling they'll be going back for a second bite.
Disclosure: I was sent a complimentary pack of Tabanero Hot Sauce to try. As always, all the opinions here are my own. 🙂
Hot Cajun Shrimp Dip
Adapted from Southern Living
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced {plus extra for garnish}
1 small green bell pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons diced pimientos
1 glove garlic, grated or minced
½ pound peeled, deveined shrimp, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 {8 oz. block} cream cheese*
1 to 2 teaspoons {or more if you dare!} hot sauce, such as Tabanero
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add scallions, bell pepper, diced pimientos and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add chopped shrimp and Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine. Cook until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted and smooth. Mix in hot sauce.
Garnish with extra chopped scallions if desired.
Serve with crackers or chips.
*Using the whole block of cream cheese makes for a very creamy dip. If you prefer a chunkier dip with more focus on the shrimp, use only half to ¾ of the cream cheese.
