Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Chiles

I have recently really started liking the show on Food Network, The Kitchen.  It's fun because it has a group of chefs with totally different styles and it shows how they use different ingredients and give some good tips as well.  

A few weeks back the Mister and I were watching their Father's Day episode and one of the chefs made these.  My husband immediately said he wanted these for Father's Day the next day.  So he got them.  

They turned out super yummy, but I think they are too hot for most kiddos, so he and I had to polish them off ourselves, which wasn't a bad thing ;)  Super easy, super yummy, and a great way to use up some of your garden peppers!  

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Chiles
Yield:8 poppers
8 whole fresh jalapenos
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices center-cut smoked bacon

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or stovetop grill pan over high heat.


Grill the jalapenos until browned or blistered on all sides and slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.


Meanwhile, mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To remove the seeds from the jalapenos, make a crosswise cut at the stem end of each jalapeno, then slice lengthwise down the middle, being careful not to cut the jalapeno completely in half. Peel open the sides of each jalapeno and, using a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds and veins. Fill the cavities with 1 tablespoon of the cheese-oregano mixture. Wrap 1 slice of bacon tightly around each stuffed jalapeno to seal in the cheese.


Grill, starting the poppers on the side where the bacon-wrapping ends, until the bacon is crisp and fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid (Food Network's The Kitchen)

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

After my indulgent weekend with Mother's Day and Cinco de Mayo celebrations, I am getting back on track.  I am SOOO close to my pre-baby weight, my goal is to at least hit that by this Friday if not more.  That means no more cheats until the weekend!  I found this recipe that totally gave me satisfaction for lunch today.  I LOVE those little boneless buffalo bites you can get from Buffalo Wild Wings, Chilis, Applebees, and probably a bunch of other places.  I was reading on Beachboy that each of those little things can be over 72 calories EACH.  When an order comes with about a dozen or so, that adds up super quick!  

These little cauliflower nuggets totally gave me the feeling of my favorite little boneless buffalo bites and instead of using the dressing suggested below, I just ate a red container of cottage cheese on the side in between the cauliflower to cool my mouth off.  It really was a tasty lunch!


Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Yield: 6 servings, approximately ¾ cup Bites and 3 Tbsp. Sauce each

Container Count:  1 GREEN and 1 tsp. (per Beachboy)
½ cup low-fat (1%) plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
6 cups cauliflower florets
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt), divided use
½ cup hot pepper sauce
⅓ cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, gluten-free (preferably GMO free)
2 tsp. ground chili powder
¼ tsp. ground smoked paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine yogurt and cheese in a small bowl; mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray.
4. Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet. Coat cauliflower lightly with spray. Season evenly with ¼ tsp. salt.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
6. While cauliflower is baking, combine hot sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in medium saucepan; whisk until cornstarch is dissolved.
7. Add chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, maple syrup, oil, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt; whisk to blend.
8. Heat hot sauce mixture over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
9. Pour hot sauce mixture over baked cauliflower (on baking sheet); mix well.
10. Return cauliflower to oven. Bake for 5 minutes.

11. Serve hot with sauce.

*Note on equivalents: Per serving, the amount of yogurt and cheese found in this recipe is not enough to count toward a day’s Red or Blue allowance. As such, these ingredients (and calories) have been calculated into the tsp. equivalent.

Recipe Source:  Beachbody

Cheese Fondue

I think we have just found a new Valentines Day dinner we can have year-to-year!  The hubs and I definitely like our own time around Valentines Day to go out to eat at a fancy restaurant or a winery (for the food, not the wine), but we also like to do something fun with the littles.  It had been years since I had made a cheese fondue, probably because the last one I did turned out a little less than stellar ;)  This one, however turned out great and my 7-year old thought it was the greatest dinner ever.  The recipe caught my eye because it was actually one that doesn't call for alcohol...and that is something that is never in my house, so I was all over that!  Plus, it comes from one of my fav food bloggers, so I trusted that as well :)  Enjoy!!

Cheese Fondue

2 cups lightly packed shredded Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups lightly packed shredded Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup low-sodium, good-quality chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice (don't leave this out! I just gave a quick squeeze of a lemon without properly measuring)
1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of paprika

Place both the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses in a gallon-size resealable bag with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.

In a stovetop-safe fondue pot (or in a regular saucepan or electric fondue pot), add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cheese, a small handful at a time, stirring constantly, but not briskly. It works best to use a wooden spoon and and stir in an S-shaped motion, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn.
Once the cheese is melted and begins to just barely simmer, add the remaining spices and move it immediately to the table on the fondue stand with the sterno flame below. It should be the consistency of warm honey. Add more or less cheese for perfect consistency and additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Serve with your favorite fondue dippers: steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower, carrots, apples, chicken sausages, bread (and more bread!), lightly sauteed mushrooms, tender potatoes - the options are endless! 

Recipe Source:  Meds Kitchen Cafe

Jalapeno Jelly

 A few years back we planted about 6 jalapeno plants at a little farmhouse we were renting.  The problem was the place we were renting, the landlord did not have sprinklers set up, therefore no drip lines, and all the watering was on us.  Sometimes we'd forget, or go out of town, or our automatic timer for our small sprinkler would not work.  The plants did OK, and we got a decent amount of peppers, but no like when regular watering takes place.  

Fast forward 2 years and we now have our own new home with sprinklers, drip lines, the whole bit!  So this time I only bought one plant and put it in a pot since we don't have a dedicated garden yet.  This one plant EXPLODED!  I can only guess that over a few months time we have gotten over 100 peppers from this one plant.  

Needless to say, I needed to find a way to use our awesome harvest of peppers.  I had pinned a recipe for jalapeno jelly, and remembering the one time I had tried this stuff in the past I knew it was something I had to try :)  

So plucking 20 jalapenos off my plant, I set off on my jelly adventure.  It was super easy to make and canned up nicely.  When I was done, I busted out some Wheat Thins, some cream cheese, and lunch was served!  

Some ideas for this stuff is just like I said... crackers, cream cheese with a little jelly on top.  Or for a party, soften a whole block of this stuff and throw a whole jar on top and serve with crackers.  Use it as a sauce for chicken or steak.  Some people mentioned how great this is with coconut shrimp and even chicken nuggets.  The blogger that I got this recipe from loves it on her paninis as an alternate spread to the normal mustard.  I am willing to venture out and find some some uses for this delectable stuff!

I doubled up the recipe and got about 13-14 half pint jars.

Jalapeno Jelly


1 large red bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
10 jalapenos (I leave about 1/2 the seeds in)
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups granulated sugar (yep, you really need this much to combat the spice!)
1 3-ounce pouch liquid fruit pectin (like Certo)

Finely chop the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor fitted with a fine shredding blade (if you don't have a food processor, no worries, grab a knife and get started chopping up those peppers into little tiny pieces).

Add the peppers to a large pot (the jelly will foam when it first comes to a boil so use a pot at least 5-6 quarts for a single batch and larger if doubling the batch).

Stir in the vinegar, salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the liquid pectin and boil for 1 more minute.

Remove the pot from the heat. Pour the jelly to within 1/4-inch of the top of clean, warm canning jars. 

Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp rag. Place a lid and ring on each jar and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (you may need to add additional time if you live above sea level; the pectin box/info should give details).

Once removed from the water bath canner, let the jelly rest for 1-2 days to let it fully set up.

Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

King's Hawaiian Ham and Swiss Sliders

After we do all of our Christmas traveling, we usually have low-key New Year's festivities.  This year was no different.  We do puzzles and legos, and ring in the new year with a movie or two.  This year I fell asleep at 10:30 on the couch, and my 6-year old celebrated the ball dropping with my hubby instead of me.  Weird how that happens :)

Anyhow, I made these sliders a few years back for the Superbowl and never took a pic or blogged about them, and my husband has requested them a few times since.  They are super simple, and perfect for our little family if we halved it.  We had enough for lunch the next day as well and tasted even better the next day if you ask me.  Enjoy!

King's Hawaiian Ham and Swiss Sliders

24 slices of deli honey ham
6 Slices of swiss cheese, cut into fourths
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 packages (12 count) KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

1. Cut rolls in half and spread mayo onto 1 side of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and worcestershire sauce.
3. Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.

Recipe Source:  King's Hawaiian

"Out of This World" Corn Dip

I had planned to post this well before the Superbowl, and then life happened.  So here you get it today! We enjoyed our Superbowl time with friends and ate some delicious food, including Completos...something new for me (I'll share about these another day).  It has been fun to live in the state with the Superbowl champs (even when we aren't fans of the team ;)  Just seeing the excitement in the community and the excitement of my husband's co-workers has made it so great.  

This appetizer is great for football parties, or I have also seen it called "poolside" corn dip, so set this recipe aside for summertime gatherings as well.  It is yummy!

"Out of This World" Corn Dip


3 (11-oz.) cans sweet corn & diced peppers, drained
7-oz. can chopped green chiles
6-oz. can chopped jalapeno peppers, drained and liquid added to taste
1/2 c. green onion, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
16-oz. pkg. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 bags scoop-like corn or tortilla chips

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except chips. Chill two hours to overnight. Serve with your favorite chips (I used Fritos and Tostitos) for scooping. Makes 6 cups.

Recipe Source:  Inspired By Charm

Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing and Dip

I LOVE Superbowl food!  My hubby's team is still in the running to make it to the Superbowl, and every week I find myself making football munchies to snack on during the game as he cheers them on.  Don't get me wrong, I love me a good buffalo wing or any other deep-fried delicacy, but I feel like I need to get some crunchy veggies on my plate as well to make me feel a bit better about the other things on my plate.  Not to mention this is the time of year when I'm sure you are all trying to lighten things up a bit.  

So here's a recipe you can take to your next football-watching party and not feel the least bit bad about it...and it is delicious!  Try it with veggies, chicken tenders (if you are in the mood for deep-fried deliciousness), or even on top of a salad for a change from the usual old ranch ;) And lets face it, homemade is ALWAYS better than the bottled variety!

Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing and Dip


2/3 C mayonnaise (I used Light)
3 T Dijon mustard
3 T honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 T lemon juice (out of a bottle is fine)
1 T white vinegar
3 T milk
1 T canola oil

Place 2/3 cup mayonnaise in your blender.  Add 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons honey. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon  lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1 tablespoon canola oil.  Blend it for 30 seconds or so, or until all the ingredients are well combined. 

Refrigerate leftovers. It should keep well for you in fridge for up to a week...longer if you dare. 

Recipe Source:  Jamie Cooks It Up

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I am a BIG fan of college football!  I love cheering on my Ohio State Buckeyes as well as my Utah teams (although I am fairly neutral when it comes to the in-state rivalries :)  When we sit down on Saturdays to watch our favorite teams, it is mandatory to have some snack-y type food to munch on while we cheer on our favorites.  

A few weeks back my husband's work had a tailgating potluck during their lunch hour, and one of the gals brought this dip.  My husband immediately called me afterward and told be to buy the ingredients to make this again.  I guess he liked it ;)  It was a great way to use up some of our bountiful crop of jalapenos we got out of our garden this year!  

Jalapeno Popper Dip

6-8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c. mayonnaise
4-6 jalapenos, chopped and deseeded. 
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c. diced green onions

Topping:

1 c. crushed crackers (like Ritz crackers)
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients (except topping ingredients) into a medium bowl.  Stir well.

Transfer to an oven-proof dish .  The size of the dish depends on how thick the dip is.  I used a round dish about 9-inches across.  Obviously, the bigger the dish, the cooking time will go down.

Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the dip.

Bake the dip until bubbly (for mine it took about 40-45 minutes.  If you have a larger dish, start checking after about 20 minutes).

Recipe Source:  Laura, from the hubby's office

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

I have lost my steam for cooking dinner lately for some reason...so when I find a recipe that can use leftovers, I'm all over it!  It is especially great when the final product is phenomenal!  In this case, I made these Crockpot Beef Sandwiches earlier this week and the leftovers were perfect for these yummy taquitos.  Enjoy :)

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast
4oz green chilies, undrained
1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I do 1/4 for mild spiciness)
3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers (see below for note)
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)
6″ white corn tortillas (about 20) I decied I like white corn torillas WAY better than yellow.
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Note: If you don’t want to work with the chipotle peppers, or can’t find them, try adding some Chipotle Chili Powder. You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase to taste.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take your shredded beef and slice any larger pieces across the grain so you have pieces about 1/2-1″ long. Place in a bowl and set aside.

Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)

Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture and roll that baby up.

Place seam-side down on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Use cooking spray or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each one.  Lightly sprinkle kosher salt on the top of each one.

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

What do you eat for Superbowl Sunday?

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

I love Christmas parties...and mostly for the appetizers/finger foods!  I tried a new appetizer this week that I can't keep my hands off of (literally).  It is a great salty snack and would be yummy at any Christmas party, New Year's Eve get-together, or bowl party!  It's as simple as 4 ingredients, and you gotta love that.  Simplicity at its finest :) 

Need other appetizer ideas?  How about some Cranberry Salsa, or some Creamy Hot Sausage Dip?  Or there is always Broccoli Bread Dip or Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts.  With all these yummy options, how will you ever decide what to take to your next party? :)

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

16 ounces sour cream
16 slices (12-ounce package) bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld together. Garnish with extra shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped chives. Serve with your favorite potato chips or pretzel crisps. Dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Cool Cucumber Dorito Dip

Can I say how glad I am to be out of Ohio right now?!  We moved a few weeks ago, and now because of storms all of our old friends and ward members have been without central air and electricity for quite a while.  I can't even imagine how yucky it has been, especially if it has been humid! I'll take my days here in Utah with the AC cranking :)

Nothing like a cool refreshing dip to help beat this heat!  This would be mighty tasty alongside your burgers to celebrate the 4th.  I was worried at first because there really isn't much seasoning to this dip, but the Doritos make up for it and it is great!  Addicting :)

Cool Cucumber Dorito Dip

Diced cucumbers (approx. 3)
1 pint sour cream
1 pint cottage cheese
Green onion chopped (approx 3)
2 tbsp mayo
Salt and pepper

Combine and chill for a few hours before serving to let flavors combine.  Serve with Doritos (Nacho Cheese is the best!). 

Source:  Unsure...found it as a comment on another blog :)

Nutella Fruit Dip

Who doesn’t love Nutella?!  Why not make a fab fruit dip out of it!  This one caught my eye because of the Nutella, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the other ingredient was Greek yogurt, one of my absolute favorites.  Combine the two and you have a tangy, chocolate filled bowl of yummy deliciousness 

Nutella Fruit Dip

1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Nutella

Mix the yogurt and Nutella together in a small bowl until completely combined. Refrigerate until ready to use (it was better after it chilled for a few hours). Serve with fresh cut fruit.  We loved ours with some strawberries and apples.

Recipe Source:  Family Kitchen

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

This weekend we got together with friends to relive our cruise experience with our friends.  We had a yummy menu prepared, each item was something we ate on the trip and LOVED.  These were things like yummy tender meat, pickled onions, phenomenal beans and rice, tres leches cake, bread pudding, and my contribution....lots of fruit!

To go along with my yummy fruit, I thought I'd make a new fruit dip containing creme of coconut, which I've never bought before.  It is awesome!  I've seen some drink recipes with this in it, and I'll be trying those soon :)

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 (15oz) can Cream of Coconut (Not coconut milk! Find this in the aisle with the margarita mix & other mixers.)

1/2 (8oz) tub Cool Whip

Whip the cream cheese with the cream of coconut in a stand mixer until all lumps are gone.  Remove paddle, & fold in cool whip.

Serve with fruit or graham crackers.

Recipe Source:  Dessert Now, Dinner Later

Classic Deviled Eggs

• Gotta love an old classic.  I don't know why I never think to make deviled eggs any other time of the year but Easter time, but I should try making these yummy things a few time a year!  There are so many different varieties I ran into while searching for a recipe...southwest, bacon and cheddar, cream cheese filled...all sounded great!

I made these as a request by my hubby, and he approved :)  I definitely ate more than my share.  Better get back to that diet tomorrow...

• Classic Deviled Eggs
• 
  
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with enough water that there's 1 1/2 inches of water above the eggs. Heat on high until water begins to boil, then cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave covered for 14 minutes, then rinse under cold water continuously for 1 minute.

Crack egg shells and carefully peel under cool running water. Gently dry with paper towels. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl, and placing the whites on a serving platter. Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

Recipe Source: Food Network

Yummy Guacamole

Say hello to the best guac I have ever made!  What would the Superbowl be without a bowl of guacamole?!  It just wouldn't be the same.


I took advantage of the Superbowl sales this week and got a bunch of avocados at a decent price and whipped up some of this divine green dip.  I loved the addition of the jalapenos and the hot sauce, it definitely made it for me.  Not to mention it is chock full of cilantro, my favorite ingredient on the planet :)


Yummy Guacamole


3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky, coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. 


Recipe Source: Favorite Family Recipes