Fall In Love With Jalapenos

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Anytime Fitness Blog

by:   Nutrition

Jalapeños are one of the more mild hot peppers in the market. Even those of us who are heat adverse can enjoy the gentle warmth that comes from a small amount of finely-minced jalapeno in our favorite salsa. But did you know that jalapeños are also a nutritional powerhouse? They add a ton of flavor and do some great things for your body, so let’s learn all about these little hot peppers!

What do they look like?

Jalapeños are dark green, narrow, and are about the length of half a pencil. They usually come with their small, curved stems attached. As jalapeños mature, they may turn yellow, orange, or bright red.

What do they taste like?

Even though they have the texture of sweet peppers—thick-walled and crunchy, they are definitely spicier! Raw jalapenos are quite spicy, but the spiciness milds the longer you cook it (which makes it a great option for adding just a touch of heat to baked goods like cornbread). The spiciest part of jalapeños is inside the pepper—the seeds and the white membranes. For the most spice, toss in the seeds and membranes when you’re chopping. For a milder flavor, scrape those out and discard them before chopping.

Why are they good for me?

A compound called capsaicin is what gives hot peppers like jalapeños their spice, but it also packs a serious nutritional punch, too. Capsaicin is a powerful anti-inflammatory in the body and it helps promote healthy blood flow. Also, some studies have shown that capsaicin may be a promising natural cancer treatment—it seems the capsaicin turns off the protein that helps grows tumors. Capsaicin also has been shown to help with weight loss—studies have shown that people who eat a diet high in spicy peppers have a higher energy expenditure compared to those who do not, meaning you get a higher calorie burn for all activities.

When and where do I get them?

Jalapeños (and many other hot peppers) are available year-round at the grocery store, but we recommend trying to grow your own! A common myth is that you have to live in a hot climate to grow hot peppers, but that isn’t true at all. Peppers grow in the same regions that grow other common summer crops like tomatoes and cucumbers—and because hot pepper plants are condensed, they are an excellent option for growing in pots on an apartment patio or a deck!

How do I prepare jalapeños?

You can use jalapeños both raw and cooked—but remember, raw is much spicer! And we recommend putting on some kitchen gloves before chopping jalapenos. If you’ve ever rubbed your eyes after chopping a jalapeño, you know how the juices from the peppers can last on your hands for hours and hours afterwards (even after washing).

Pico de Gallo-Fresh Salsa

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pico de gallo

Pico de gallo is one of my favorite toppings.  It’s perfect as a snack with tortilla chips, topping tacos, and mixed into scrambled eggs.

I love how fast this fresh salsa comes together.  No boiling, no waiting, it’s almost as fast as opening a jar of store bought salsa, but it is a billion times tastier. Trust me-one billion times.

All you need to do is combine tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice.  All chopped, combine, and toss and your fresh tasty pico de gallo is ready to go!

Pico de gallo is more about ratios than exact amounts.  And though you can adjust the amounts of each, I would leave them pretty close to what I have listed.  Its the combination of the ingredients that make it pico de gallo and not tomatoes with some stuff mixed in.

pico de gallo with tortilla chips

Pico de Gallo– Fresh Salsa

1 part tomatoes
1 part red onion
1/2 part jalapeno
1/2 part cilantro
1 lime
1 pinch salt

  1. Dice tomatoes into large dice.  Add to large bowl.
  2. Dice red onion into small dice.  Add to bowl.
  3. Dice jalapeno into a small dice. Remove membranes and seeds to a less spicy pico.  Add to bowl.
  4. Finely chop cilantro.  Add to bowl.
  5. Add the juice of half the lime and a pinch of salt.
  6. Toss everything together and taste.  Add more lime juice or salt if needed.
  7. Eat with tortilla chips, use to top tacos, mix into anything and everything.
For guidance I used cherry tomatoes that I quartered then measured a cup, half a red onion that I diced then measured a cup, 2 large jalapenos diced then measured 1/2 cup, 1 large handful cilantro chopped then measured 1/2 cup, half a lime juiced, and one heavy pinch of salt.  But you can really adjust the amount of salsa up and down to fit your needs!
Pico de Gallo-Fresh salsa
The amount of jalapeno and onion might seem like a lot, but that is really where the pico flavor comes through!  Don’t skimp because your afraid of the spice–it really becomes a nice flavor balance when everything is mixed together.
Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato salsa that I love.  I really use it to top everything–I’ve even used it in place of salad dressing. Give pico de gallo a try, it really is easy to make!
Originally posted on Happy Food Happy Home

Cilantro and jalapeno hummus

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by Sarah Steimer  sohungryblog

Cilantro and jalapeno hummus

This hummus went up 10 notches just from sitting in the fridge for a few days. It’s great for dipping, but I’ve also been using it on wraps. It pairs extremely well with some pickled carrots and onions. Speaking of great pairings, how great would this green hummus be with some green beer?

  • 2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2/3 cup tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of salt (may need more)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and some stems, gently packed
  • 1 large jalapeno
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, salt, cilantro and jalapeno in a food processor until well-blended. You may need to stop the machine occasionally and scape down the sides.

While the machine is running, drizzle in the olive oil and the water a little at a time. If you prefer it more or less creamy, adjust the water accordingly.

Recipe from: Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Paneer-Stuffed Pickled Chiles — Recipe from Asian Pickles

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Paneer Stuffed Pickled Chiles,jpg

from Karen Solomon

karensolomon.com

I am no stranger to spicy food, but I once ate one of these that was so hot I had to lie down. Why? Because I was being macho and I didn’t remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers. I have also, of course, eaten many that were just the right degree of spiciness. No matter what hap­pens with the heat, you will deeply enjoy the sweet (dates), pungent (onion), and bracing (vinegar/ginger) aspects of these perfectly peppery pickle bites. Oh, and if Indian paneer cheese is not available, you can make do with another very mild, low-salt milk cheese like queso fresco, haloumi, or a firm quark.

Makes 8 to 10 stuffed peppers 

TIME: 6 DAYS

  • 4 or 5 green jalapeño chiles
  • 4 or 5 red Fresno chiles
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about ½ small yellow onion)
  • 1/3 cup minced cilantro
  • 2/3 cup finely diced paneer (about 3 ounces)
  • 5 dates, pitted and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1¼ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 thin slices fresh ginger
  • 1 large clove garlic, smashed

Bring a small covered saucepan of water to a boil.

Use scissors or kitchen shears to cut the stems off the peppers, leaving the pep­pers intact.

When the water is at a rapid boil, slip in the peppers and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until soft enough to be malleable. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

While the peppers cool, combine the onion, cilantro, paneer, dates, salt, and fen­ugreek in a medium mixing bowl. This is your stuffing.

Now it’s time to stuff the peppers. Using a paring knife, start at the stem end of a pepper and make a long slit, lengthwise, down almost to the pepper’s tip. Pinch the pepper together like a change purse to open up the incision you just made. Unless you truly enjoy extremely spicy food, I suggest you use a spoon to gently scrape out as many of the seeds and membranes as you can, leaving the pepper intact. Follow suit with the remaining peppers.

Stuff the peppers with the stuffing until you can’t fit anymore inside without splitting the pepper. Lay the peppers on their sides, cut side up, in a shallow con­tainer with a well‑fitting lid that is just big enough for all.

To make the brine, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small covered saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a sim­mer for 15 minutes. Pour the hot brine, complete with the ginger and garlic, over the peppers to cover them completely. (If your storage container is rather large, and you need more liquid to cover the peppers fully, you can double the quan­tity of brine.) Secure the container with a lid and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Move the peppers to the refrigerator and let them sit for 5 days. Serve the peppers whole or carefully sliced into bites. Kept refrigerated, these peppers will last up to 2 weeks.

This recipe is from Asian Pickles: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Cured, and Fermented Preserves from Korea, Japan, China, India, and Beyond from Ten Speed Press

stuffed jalapenos with mexican chorizo & smoked gouda

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stuffed jalapenos with mexican chorizo & smoked gouda

From The Wicked Noodle. https://www.thewickednoodle.com/stuffed-jalapenos/

If you like a little spice mixed with smokey, gooey, soft cheese and the best-tasting sausage around, you’re going to want to give this jalapeno popper recipe a try.  I’ve made many different versions of the jalapeno popper: Stuffed Jalapeno Shrimp Poppers with Mango Sauce, Stuffed Jalapenos with Cilantro Sauce – even Bacon-Wrapped Lime-Chipotle Chicken Stuffed with Stuffed Jalapenos! But these – THESE – are my new favorite.

They’re easy to make and also easy to make ahead. The smoky chorizo (be sure to use the mexican version, it’s soft and in a casing, unlike Spanish chorizo) is unlike any sausage you’ve ever had. And boy, do these feed a crowd! They go fast though so I always double the recipe if I’m making for more than three or four people. Leftovers – when there are any – heat very nicely, too. Just be sure to bring to room temperature before reheating, I’ve found the texture is better that way (same goes for when you make them ahead of time)

 

stuffed jalapenos with mexican chorizo & smoked gouda

As you can see from the photos, you really don’t need to stuff them very full, at least not heaping. But you should keep them close together in the pan to prevent them from leaning to one side and hot filling leaking out (only happens to one or two but keeping them together takes care of it). Sometimes I use my stuffed jalapeno roaster, too! It works great in the summertime on the grill.

stuffed jalapenos with mexican chorizo & smoked gouda

Another great thing about these stuffed jalapenos is that, although they’re best served hot, straight from the oven, they do well at room temperature so you can leave them out at a party. Not that they’ll last that long!

Recipe: stuffed jalapenos with mexican chorizo & smoked gouda

Summary: adapted from Sunny Anderson

Ingredients

  • 3-4 links Mexican chorizo, casings removed
  • 1/2 pound smoked gouda, diced fine
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and halved

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Brown chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Press into jalapeno halves and place on a baking sheet (foil or parchment underneath helps with cleanup). Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

SLOW COOKER CORN AND JALAPENO DIP

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SLOW COOKER CORN AND JALAPENO DIP

posted in APPETIZER, GAME DAY, SLOW COOKER // 121 comments »

Slow Cooker Corn and Jalapeño Dip - Simply throw everything in the crockpot for the easiest, most creamiest dip ever!

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a bit obsessed with dip, whether it’s guacamole, spinach and artichoke dip, enchilada dip, queso dip… the list goes on. But when you can make the creamiest of all dips right in your slow cooker – well, that may just be the best dip of all time.

No, but really, you cannot go wrong with a cream cheese based dip with melted pepper jack cheese, salty Parmesan, sweet corn kernels and jalapeños for just a hint of heat. For extra spiciness, feel free to add in more jalapeños to taste. You can even take it one step further and top this baby off with crumbled bacon but either way, you’ll want to eat this dip with a spoon. Who needs chips anyway?

Slow Cooker Corn and Jalapeno Dip

SLOW COOKER CORN AND JALAPEÑO DIP

yield: 6 SERVINGS

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 2 HOURS, 15 MINUTES

total time: 2 HOURS, 25 MINUTES

Simply throw everything in the crockpot for the easiest, most creamiest dip ever!

 PRINT RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 3 (15.25-ounces) cans whole kernel corn, drained
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
DIRECTIONS:
    1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
    2. Place corn, jalapenos, sour cream, Pepper Jack cheese and Parmesan into a slow cooker; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until well combined. Top with cream cheese.
    3. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
    4. Uncover and stir until cream cheese is well combined. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes.
    5. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and chives, if desired.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.

CHOCOLATE COVERED JALAPENO PEPPERS

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CHOCOLATE COVERED JALAPENO PEPPERS

Get your chocolate on for the holidays with this recipe for jalapeno peppers dipped in sweet chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate. A wonderful holiday dessert.

If you’ve never tried a chocolate covered jalapeno pepper, you’re seriously missing out! It’s time to get that chocolate warmed, my friends, so you can experience that awesomeness that is this dessert.

You’ll definitely get a kick here, depending on the heat of your particular jalapeno peppers. Give them an extra dip in that sweet milk chocolate and give an extra drizzle with melted white chocolate, then pass them around the table.

You’re friends and co-workers will love them!

And YES! You CAN make this recipe with other peppers. Did I hear you say Chocolate Covered Reapers? Wow, you’re crazy, but it’s a good kind of crazy.

Enjoy!

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike

Print
Chocolate Covered Jalapeno Peppers Recipe
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Get your chocolate on for the holidays with this recipe for jalapeno peppers dipped in sweet chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate. A wonderful holiday dessert.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, jalapeno
Servings: 20
Calories: 181 kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Ingredients
  • 20 jalapeno peppers
  • 14 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons Crisco
  • 6 ounces white chocolate
Instructions
  1. Heat a small pot to low heat and add semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons Crisco. It is best to use a double-boiler for this, but if you don’t have one, be sure to keep the heat low. Stir often until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  2. Dip each jalapeno pepper into the chocolate and coat each side.
  3. Set the chocolate jalapeno peppers on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate to speed up the process.
  4. Heat a separate small pot to low heat and add white chocolate with 1 tablespoon Crisco. Again, a double boiler is best, but if you don’t have one, keep the heat low and stir often until melted and smooth.
  5. Hold each jalapeno pepper over the white chocolate, and with a small spoon, drizzle white chocolate over the jalapeno in a small but steady stream. Be creative with your designs.
  6. Set the jalapenos on wax paper to cool.
  7. Serve!
Recipe Notes

Heat a small pot to low heat and add semi-sweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons Crisco. It is best to use a double-boiler for this, but if you don’t have one, be sure to keep the heat low. Stir often until chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip each jalapeno pepper into the chocolate and coat each side. Set the chocolate jalapeno peppers on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate to speed up the process. Heat a separate small pot to low heat and add white chocolate with 1 tablespoon Crisco. Again, a double boiler is best, but if you don’t have one, keep the heat low and stir often until melted and smooth. Hold each jalapeno pepper over the white chocolate, and with a small spoon, drizzle white chocolate over the jalapeno in a small but steady stream. Be creative with your designs. Set the jalapenos on wax paper to cool. Serve!

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Covered Jalapeno Peppers Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 2mg1%
Sodium 10mg0%
Potassium 171mg5%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 165IU3%
Vitamin C 16.7mg20%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

JALAPENO BACON BOMBS

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JALAPENO BACON BOMBS

by

Unraveling Pinterest’s Most Popular Halloween Jalapeño Popper Recipe

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Unraveling Pinterest’s Most Popular Halloween Jalapeño Popper Recipe

Sara Cagle

The most pinned Halloween recipe for 2018, according to Pinterest, happens to be jalapeño popper mummies from Erika Williams, AKA the blogger behind The Hopeless Housewife. Having garnered 138K pins, it appeals to those who embrace Halloween more for cute costumes and candy and less for monstrous masks and movies.

The spicy, spooky, but mostly irresistibly adorable app starts with cheese-stuffed peppers, which are wrapped in crescent roll “bandages,” baked until gooey and golden brown, and studded with candy eyes. If you take a look at the original pin (pictured left) compared to our in-house version (pictured right), you’ll see the end result’s pretty spot on. Read on to learn our takeaways and find out the slight changes we made so you can flawlessly recreate this recipe.

Halloween Jalapeño Popper Mummy Recipe

“I love Halloween foods that, at first glance, are spooky but when looking closer are actually cute and fun,” Williams tells Brit + Co. “When coming up with this recipe, I wanted to make something that brought me back to my childhood but that was still for adults. A reimagined jalapeño popper seemed like the perfect way to go.”

Halloween Jalapeño Popper Mummy Recipe

We’re all for nostalgia, but what exactly is it about these snacks that led to hundreds of thousands of pins? “I think it’s because they are so darned cute! I can’t help but smile when I look at a tray full of them,” she says. “Also, once you look at the recipe, you find that there are very few ingredients, and they are relatively simple to make. You can’t really ‘mess up’ wrapping the jalapeños, because there really is no ‘right’ way to do it.”

Check out our step-by-step boo-torial below, sprinkled with a few of our insights, then get to bakin’.

HALLOWEEÑO JALAPEÑO POPPER MUMMIES RECIPE

(Makes 20 poppers)

Ingredients:

  • 10 jalapeño peppers
  • 8 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
  • 8 ounces jack cheese or your favorite cheese, shredded (We used mozzarella)
  • 1 green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package refrigerated crescent rolls (We used Pillsbury Sweet Hawaiian Crescent Rolls)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • candy eyeballs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, green onion, and salt until well blended.

3. Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise with seeds removed and stems left on. We accidentally cut the stems off, but they still turned out cute!

4. Roll out the crescent dough, and separate into 4 rectangles (not triangles). Press your fingers into any perforations to seal them.

5. Using a pizza cutter, cut each rectangle into 10 pieces (or as many as you can without making them too thin) lengthwise. It’s tough to get even slices, so don’t worry about making yours perfectly uniform; the mummies are extra endearing when they’re all a little different. We also made closer to 5 slices per rectangle than 10, which was totally fine.

6. Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture. Don’t worry if the halves seem jam-packed; that just means ultimate cheesiness.

7. Wrap one strip of dough around each stuffed jalapeño, leaving a space for the eyes (which you’ll add later). Use two pieces of dough if necessary. Feel free to change up the wrapping style each time for unique mummies.

DIY Halloween Jalapeño Popper Mummy Recipe

8. Place jalapeños on a baking sheet and brush with egg mixture, which makes them extra shiny and crisp.

9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Because our dough strips turned out a little thicker, the mummies took roughly 12 minutes to bake.

Halloween Jalapeño Popper Mummy Recipe

10. Remove mummies from oven, and press candy eyes into empty space. Serve immediately.

Final verdict? The measurements for this recipe are just right, and it’s crafty enough to challenge you without giving you a headache. These lovable snacks are spicy and melty on the inside, crispy on the outside, and just the right level of sweet due to the crescent dough. In the words of Williams, “Cute and simple to make? That’s a win/win.”

Want more Halloween inspiration? Follow Brit + Co on Pinterest!

(Recipe adapted from The Hopeless Housewife; photos via The Hopeless Housewife and Brittany Griffin/Brit + Co)

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Sara Cagle

Sara is a food and lifestyle freelance writer in Los Angeles. She writes a weekly events column for the Los Angeles Times and loves writing food content for Brit + Co. After all, the English language’s most fun adjectives are best applied to delicious foods. In her free time, she’s a hip hop dancer, avid moviegoer, and thorough face-mask user.

SPATULA DIARIES: GET READY FOR FOOTBALL SEASON WITH SAUSAGE SCALLION JALAPENO POPPERS

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SPATULA DIARIES: GET READY FOR FOOTBALL SEASON WITH SAUSAGE SCALLION JALAPENO POPPERS

Photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson

By Maggie Heyn Richardson

I’ve had jalapeños on the brain lately. They’re one of the few things still growing in my garden in this withering heat, and harvesting them has been a great excuse for playing around with recipes for football season.

Game-day poppers are one of my favorite fall eats because they’re easy to assemble before guests arrive—or with their help. You can go traditional and stuff them with simple cream cheese, or you can spike that cream cheese with other ingredients that give the bite extra flavor and depth. Crabmeat, cooked shrimp, crumbled bacon, sautéed mushrooms, feta or blue cheese, chopped herbs and other ingredients all work well with a cream cheese base. I really love the duo of sausage and scallions because it adds such nice salt and fat.

Once assembled, poppers only need to cook for about 10-12 minutes. Serve them with plenty of cold beer.

Sausage Scallion Jalapeño Poppers

Servings: Makes 2 dozen poppers

12 large fresh jalapeño peppers
8-ounce block of cream cheese, preferably full fat
4 ounces cooked crumbled pork sausage
¼ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1/3 cup grated cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
Chopped scallions for garnish

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the peppers. Using a sharp paring knife, slice each pepper in half down the middle so that the stem remains on both halves. Remove the seeds and ribs with a grapefruit spoon or the paring knife. (Be sure to wash your hands before touching your face!)

In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, cooked sausage and scallions. Fill each pepper half completely with the cream cheese mixture. Top each pepper with about 1-2 teaspoons grated cheese. Place the peppers on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.