By Tony and Sarah Nasello

Grand Forks Herald 

Add Jalapenos to this easy Chili dip for football season! 
Photo by: Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

FARGO — My husband, Tony, is a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, which means that the only thing we usually get to cheer about in our home during NFL football season is, you guessed it, the food.
And last Sunday, my Easy Cheesy Chili Dip had everyone cheering as we watched the Fish eke out a win over the Tennessee Titans.

This recipe was inspired by a popular dip that seemed to be everywhere in the 1980s, which was made by combining a can of chili with a brick of Velveeta cheese. I loved this dip as a teenager, but as an adult I wanted to see if I could create a made-from-scratch version that would replicate the wonderful creamy, cheesy nature of this dip without using any processed ingredients.
Instead of using canned chili, I make a simple, quick chili that takes just 15 minutes to cook and is every bit as satisfying. You can make this recipe using just one dish — an ovenproof skillet — which keeps the dishwashing at a minimum and helps the dip retain its heat better throughout serving. Or, you could cook the chili in a regular frying pan and then transfer it to a pie plate or baking dish to finish in the oven.
I begin by cooking ground beef with aromatics like garlic, onion and jalapeno pepper in just a bit of oil, which imparts deep flavor into the dish and intensifies the meatiness. This chili is best when the ground beef is broken down into small, crumb-like pieces, and I use a handy meat chopping tool to achieve this, but a potato masher or wooden spoon will also work.
Tomato paste, water and a blend of spices and seasoning are added next to round out the chili, with cayenne pepper providing just a touch of heat. For a creamy finish, I stir in four ounces of cream cheese, which gives the chili a lush and velvety texture that makes it firm enough to hold on a chip. We prefer this chili without beans, but red kidney beans could also be added at this stage for a chunkier version.
Once the cream is thoroughly incorporated, I cover the top of the chili with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheddar jack cheese and then bake it in a 375-degree oven until the cheese begins to bubble and brown. For an extra golden brown and cheesy crust, I finish the dip by broiling it on high for two to three minutes, watching it carefully to keep it from burning.
I love the simplicity of this chili, which can be refrigerated for several days, or frozen for up to two months before adding the cheese and baking, which makes me love it even more. When serving, I prefer hearty, restaurant-style yellow corn tortilla chips, which are strong enough to hold a generous mouthful of cheesy goodness.

My Easy Cheesy Chili Dip is like having a plate of super-deluxe nachos without the hassle of soggy chips, which is always touchdown in my book.
Sarah’s Easy Cheesy Chili Dip
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ cup yellow onion, small-diced
½ jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for extra heat)
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
Toppings
2 Roma tomatoes, diced into ¼-inch pieces
3 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup black olives, sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet, heat the oil and add the ground beef, garlic, onions and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium heat until the beef is fully browned, and the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a meat chopper, potato masher or wooden spoon to break the beef into small, crumb-like pieces. Drain the excess fat and return the skillet to the stovetop.
Add the tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cream cheese and stir until fully incorporated, then stir in the kidney beans, if using. Smooth the top and cover with the shredded cheese.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browned. For best results, finish by broiling on high until the top is a rich, golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Use a pot holder or handle cover to remove skillet from oven and sprinkle the top with an even layer of the diced tomatoes, green onions and black olives. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips. Leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or a microwave-safe dish.
Sarah’s tips:
• If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, use a frying pan to make the chili, then transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate or baking dish and cover with the cheese.
• For extra heat, use the whole jalapeno pepper and/or increase the amount of cayenne pepper.
• Fresh cilantro may also be sprinkled on the top just before serving.
• For best results, serve with hearty, restaurant-style yellow corn tortilla chips.

By: Jason Cassidy 

News Review 

PHOTO BY JASON CASSIDY

Sweet jalapeños in a jar.

My garden sucks this year. Despite a spring spent adding new beds in more favorable locations, as well as an automated irrigation system, my blossoms have dropped en masse. Unfortunately timed heatwaves this summer have robbed me—and many fellow local gardeners to whom I’ve whined—of most tomato and melon fruits. Not all has been lost, though. The lemon cucumber and spaghetti squash yields have been respectable. And the jalapeños—those chilis I most often cook with and always do well in my yard—continue to be on fire. The time was ripe to finally make some “cowboy candy.”
My conventional use for a bumper crop of jalapeños is to combine it with the “too many” tomatoes that I normally enjoy for some homemade pico de gallo for all my tortilla chip and tri-tip-smothering needs. But the absence of tomatoes presented an opportunity for trying out this tasty-looking pickling/candying method of preserving hot peppers that I’ve come across on various recipe websites over the years.
Turns out cowboy candy is super quick and simple to make—especially if you just do the quick refrigerator pickle—and the results are amazing. I’ve tried them on a turkey burger and a grilled-chicken sandwich (both transformative) and spooned them straight out of the jar and into my mouth for an intense sweet/sour/hot snack. It’d also be a perfect contrast to a bagel with cream cheese, and would make a great addition chopped up and stirred into a potato salad or coleslaw.
After making one batch, I think I have a new staple in my fridge.
The recipe I settled on borrows bits from the glut I found online, all of which are basically the same. Other additions that I found but left out of my batch include cayenne pepper (seems overkill), celery seeds (meh) and lime zest and/or juice (next time). I included some whole red jalapeños for extra color, but you could also add a few whole cayenne or, if you’re really brave, habanero peppers to further enhance the look and flavor.
Cowboy candy
Ingredients:
3 pounds jalapeños, sliced
Handful of additional whole chili peppers
(red jalapeño, cayenne, habanero, etc.)
6 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar (apple cider or distilled
white)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
8 cloves garlic, smashed
Sterilize four or five one-pint pickling jars and lids, plus a slotted spoon and a funnel.
Put on some rubber or plastic gloves. Rinse off your jalapeños and any other peppers you’re using, then cut off the stems and slice into quarter-inch rings. (You could de-seed first if you want less heat … but c’mon!) If you’re including any whole peppers, simply cut off the stems and add to the pepper pile.
Start your syrup by adding vinegar, sugar, turmeric and smashed garlic to a large saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves. Reduce to a low boil, and cook for four minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove garlic. Add all your peppers to the pot and boil for another four minutes.
Turn off heat, and with slotted spoon remove peppers and distribute evenly between jars. Turn heat on syrup back up and bring to a boil. Cook for an additional five minutes or so, until syrup begins to thicken. Funnel syrup into jars, covering peppers completely and leaving about 1/2-inch airspace at top. Tighten lids and put in the fridge. Wait one week. Enjoy! Using this refrigerator method for pickling, your cowboy candy will be good in the fridge for at least three months.

By: Chula King

Tallahassee Democrat

Wonton Jalapeño Popper Bites.

Photo By: Chula King

Wonton Jalapeño Popper Bites
Total Prep Time – 10 minutes: Total cook time – 15 minutes
Makes 24 Wonton Jalapeño Popper Bites
Wonton Cups:
24 wonton wraps
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Jalapeño Popper Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (See Note 1)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream (See Note 2)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
8 ounces bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
3 jalapeños, membrane and seeds removed, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Brush mini-muffin pan cups with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil. Press wonton wraps into mini-muffin pan cups. Brush with remaining vegetable oil. (See Note 3)

Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.
Jalapeño Popper Filling:
Add cream cheese and sour cream to medium bowl. Beat on high with electric mixer until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Reserve 2 tablespoons each of Cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. Reserve 1 tablespoon of chopped jalapeños.
Add remaining Cheddar cheese, bacon, and jalapeños to cream cheese/sour cream mixture. Beat on low until well combined, about 30 seconds.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of Jalapeño Popper Filling into each of the wonton cups. (See Note 4)
Sprinkle reserved Cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped jalapeños on top.
Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and filling is hot.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving. (See Note 5)
Yield: 24 Wonton Jalapeño Popper Bites.

Recipe Notes:
1. I used low-fat cream cheese, but you could also use regular cream cheese.
2. I used low-fat sour cream, but you could also use regular sour cream.
3. To easily fit the wonton wraps into the mini-muffin pan cups, I cut 1/2-inch slits on two opposite sides. This allows the wonton wraps to more easily overlap and fit into the mini-muffin cups.
4. I used a 2-teaspoon or #100 ice cream scoop to fill the wonton cups. It was the perfect size!

By : Alisa Fleming

Go Dairy Free

This jalapeno brownies recipe with photo was shared with us by Rio Luna Organics.

Special Diet Notes: Jalapeno Brownies
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.
For gluten-free, dairy-free jalapeno brownies, you can substitute your favorite gluten-free flour blend, like King Arthur or Namaste Foods, for the all-purpose flour.
For egg-free and vegan jalapeno brownies, swap in aquafaba for the eggs, or see my egg substitute guide for more options.

Jalapeno Brownies

Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
30 mins

For sweet presentation, dust these jalapeno brownies with powdered sugar before serving.
Author: Rio Luna Organics
Serves: 16 brownies
Ingredients
½ cup oil (your favorite baking oil)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapenos, pureed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until no cocoa clumps remain.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, jalapenos, and vanilla until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combines.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and even it out.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the brownies pull away from the pan sides.
Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into fourths each