I have a confession to make. I used to be afraid to cook with chile peppers. It goes back to this one incident where I chopped some jalapeños and then rubbed my eyes. After my face exploded, I wrote myself a note never to do that again. If you haven’t done this, God bless you… you’re smarter than me. As someone with super sensitive skin, just looking at a chile can make my skin break out in a rash. And yet, spicy Tex-Mex is my favorite food. So I’ve made my peace with chiles. If I have a clean pair of kitchen gloves, I wear them. If not, I wash my hands with MILK.

I made my peace with chile peppers, and I want you to. Let’s get to know our little friend here while I pretend to remember my 9th grade Spanish.

¡Oye! Look at my green beauty! Let us get to know one another better.

• I’m a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and fiber.
• I offer more flavor than heat.
• I’m also known as an ancho chile when I’m dried. I can be soaked in water and used in many of the same recipes.

See? Harmless. We’re going to pair our friends here with a good amount of cilantro which is chock full of phytonutrients. How could you want more? Healthy, cheap and quick. Here we go.

NOTE: Since we’re blending hot liquids, hold down the lid with a kitchen towel as you blend.

Want even more health? Use brown rice. Go on, I won’t say anything.

After this has simmered and is almost ready, you can add some veggies. I like to add a little cooked chicken to make this a meal. When the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked, you’re done.

My kids like this but they temper the tiny bit of heat with a bit of sour cream or grated cheddar (I like a little queso fresco or parmesan) and a nice big glass of milk.

¡Adiós!