One of the greatest secret-weapon ingredients I know is chipotles in adobo sauce. These are smoked jalapeño peppers that have been stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and various spices, such as cumin, oregano, and paprika. Imagine doing all that yourself! No thanks! Luckily, the whole thing—peppers and sauce—is sold in tiny cans at just about every grocery store.
The easiest way to use these peppers and sauce is to purée the whole thing. I just dump the contents of the can right into the food processor or blender. Then I store the purée in a sealed container in the fridge. Whenever a soup, stew, or a chili—or anything that calls for a little touch of smoky heat—needs a little something extra, in goes a tablespoon or two of the puree.
