CHIPOTLE CHILES IN ADOBO SAUCE RECIPES

Steps:

• Peel and roughly chop 1/4 small onion.  Saute the onion in some oil along with a peeled, roughly chopped garlic clove.  Giving it 5-7 minutes over medium heat will sweeten up the onion and bring out some additional flavors. 
• De-stem and de-seed 7-8 chipotles in adobo.  I usually cut off the stems and then make a slit lengthwise on the chipotles, then peeling them open and discarding the inner veins and seeds.  It's not crucial to get rid of all the seeds but I usually discard most of them. 
• Add the chipotles to a blender or food processor along with the onion-garlic mixture and 1/3 cup white vinegar, 1/3 cup water, the juice of 1/2 orange, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano.  Blend until completely liquefied. 
• Take a taste for sweetness.  You can optionally add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar at this point (or more) but I did not add any additional sweetness to this batch.  If you started with less chipotles you can always add more at this point if you want additional heat. 
• Pour hot sauce into a 5 oz. bottle (I find it easiest to use a small funnel).  Store in the fridge where it will keep for about a month.   

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared sheet pan and pierce each potato 4 times with a small knife. Roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until very tender inside when tested with a knife. Set aside until cool enough to handle. (Leave the oven on.) Peel the potatoes, discard the skins and place the potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Meanwhile, place the milk, cream, chipotle chile and adobo sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. (It might look curdled.)
• With the mixer on low speed, add the chipotle-milk mixture to the sweet potatoes. Add the maple syrup, butter and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix until the potatoes are coarsely pureed. Pour into a 9-by-12-by-2-inch oval oven-to-table baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.
• Make ahead: Prepare the sweet potato mixture, spoon it into the baking dish, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, until hot.