Feelin' hot, hot, hot?

Tired of the same boring, bland foods? Take your summer fare up a notch and try experimenting with chile peppers this season! Chile peppers are a healthy way to spice up your menu. Whether you’re cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner, chile peppers can add a little or a lot of heat to your food, which means big flavor . . . without the fat. Try some peppers in your breakfast omelet, add them to your favorite stir fry, or stuff them for a delicious entree. I promise you, your taste buds will be pleased.

Traditionally, chile peppers have been ranked on the Scoville Heat Scale heat which indicates the amount of heat a pepper produces. To give you an idea, the bell pepper ranks the lowest with a 0, while the habanero chile pepper ranks toward the top with a reading of 350,000 units.

Here are some descriptions of some delicious chile peppers that you can begin experimenting with this summer:

Poblano – You may not have heard of these peppers before, but poblano peppers, with their large size and thick walls, provide the perfect foundation to create a wonderful stuffed pepper entree. Try stuffing poblano peppers with Mexican chili or Spanish rice and vegetables and then grilling them; your family will be happy you did. This pepper is slightly mild with a rating of 1,000-2,000 heat units.

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Cooking with fresh chili peppers adds big flavor (without calories) to all kinds of recipes – even dessert! Whether you’re a fan of mild peppers or four-alarm heat, we’re breaking down the different types of these tiny spice powerhouses. Then, light a fire in your kitchen with five hot dishes.

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