Rick's "Cinco de Mayo" Hot Carrots and Peppers

I was traveling on Route 1 in Jessup, MD earlier this week to pickup some equipment for work.  Along the way I noticed at least three Mexican food trucks doing BBQ by the side of the road, and the smells were amazing!  I decided to stop and pickup lunch for my crew at the office, and I noticed the vendor had a huge 1 gallon glass jar filled to the brim with a clear juice and packed with sliced carrots and yellow and orange pepper slices.  The lunch order came with a serving of this garden mix and oh boy, they were HOT and delicious.  I asked the cook how he made them.  He told me that he just sliced the carrots and peppers, put them in the jar  and poured the juice from pickled jalapenos into the jar.  He said that he also added some habanero hot sauce, salt and garlic to give it more “zing” and let them sit for a day or two in the spicy brine.  How easy can it get?  They were so good that I made a batch of them yesterday and they came out fantastic!  They go great on sandwiches, or as a side dish with BBQ’d meats.  Make some for your “Cinco de Mayo” party and they will be a big hit!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sliced carrots
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jars pickled jalapeno slices
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs habanero hot sauce (like Rick’s Tequilanero Hot Sauce*)

*available at www.ricksragin.com

Directions:

Slice the carrots into 3/16” slices.  Slice the bell peppers into 3/16” slices.  Place the carrots and peppers into a glass or other non-reactive container.  Dump in 1 whole jar of the pickled jalapenos and only the juice from the second jar.

Add the remaining ingredients, making sure the vegetables are covered with the juice.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least a day.  The longer they sit in the hot brine, the hotter they get, so be careful!  Serve on your favorite sandwich or as a side dish with any meal.

See all my recipes on my new blog site: http://ricksragin.blogspot.com