Tapas Week Part 3: Apple Bites With Bacon and Jalapeno Cream Cheese

Tags

appetizer, apple, bacon, cream cheese, gluten free, jalapeno, tapas

Tapas week continues. This recipe may be the best so far. Normally my hubby thinks of these things as “fruity” but he thought these were “better than I thought.” He ate four of these pretty quickly so I think he really means they were amazing! I definitely will be making these again soon. Thanks to Climbing Grier Mountain for the recipe.

Other posts in this series:
Tapas Week Part 1: Wild Mushroom Pierogies

Tapas Week Part 2: Crispy Spicy Black Eyed Peas

Apple Bites with Bacon and Jalapeno Cream Cheese

• Servings: 2
• Time: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 1 apple, cut into eight wedges
• 4 slices bacon, cut in half
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced (leave a bit of the membrane in for a spicier flavor)
• 8 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and jalapenos. Slather a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto one of the apple slices. Take a slice of bacon and wrap around the apple. Use the toothpicks to hold the bacon in place (they also make good little handles for eating these babies). Repeat the process with all 8 sliced of apple. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 mintues or until the bacon is crispy. Serve immediately.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and jalapenos.Take an apple wedge and place it on the far end of a bacon slice. Dollop a teaspoon of the jalapeno cream cheese on the side of the apple and then wrap the bacon around the apple. Use a toothpick to hold in place. Place on baking sheet. Repeat process until all apple wedges are complete. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crispy (I had to turn my broiler on to help crisp it up a bit). Serve immediately.

Fried Shrimp and Black-eyed Pea Salad with Jalapeno Dressing

Tags

black eyed peas, gluten free, jalapeno, main dish, salad, shrimp, Southern

Anyone who reads this blog knows I am a Southern girl to the core. The food, the music, the lifestyle, the culture, all of it. So shrimp and black-eyed peas are right up my alley. This recipe is inspired by chef Susan Spicer’s recipe in her cookbook Crescent City Cooking. You can find the original here.

Fried Shrimp and Black-eyed Pea Salad with Jalapeno Dressing 

• 1 (14 oz ) can of Old Glory Southern Style black-eyed peas
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup jicama, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 16 to 20 large shelled and deveined shrimp
• Your favorite cornmeal coating (I use dry pure cornmeal, cayenne, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, and thyme)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil for frying
• Jalapeno Dressing

In a colander, rinse and drain the black-eyed peas. Place in a large bowl and add in the chopped bell pepper and jicama. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small, heavy bottomed sauce pot, bring oil up to frying temp (sprinkle a tad bit of cornmeal into the oil and if it sizzles, it’s hot enough). Coat the shrimp in egg first then toss into the dry cornmeal mixture. When all sides are well coated, add a few shrimp at a time to the oil. When cooked through and the coating is lightly browned, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

When all the shrimp is fried, put together your salad in this order – spinach, black-eyed pea combination, your crunchy shrimps, and a drizzle of the jalapeno dressing. Serves 2 full meal servings or 4 starter sized servings.

Jalapeno Dressing

Tags

dressing, gluten free, jalapeno, Mexican, salad, spicy, vegetarian

This dressing is really good. Tangy and spicy without being overwhelming. I like to use it as a dipping sauce for a southwestern style wrap or salad. It would also be good for dipping chicken tenders or southwestern style egg rolls. In other words, it’s awesome.

Jalapeno Dressing (loosely based on this recipe)

• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 jalapenos with seeds and membranes removed
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup mild onion, chopped

Toss all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

A Tale of Two Dips

Tags

appetizer, Cinco de Mayo, dip, jalapeno, Mexican, queso, ranch

Cinco de Mayo is nearly here. It’s one of my favorite times of year because the blogosphere is full of delicious Mexican dishes of every variety. If I were forced to choose only one cuisine I had to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Mexican. Real Mexican. Not the Tex-Mex, cheese dip covered stuff you can get anywhere.

With that said- here are two great dips that maybe tend more toward north of the border… But they taste amazing… Who really cares where something is from as long as it tastes DIVINE?!

On a trip to Texas a couple of years ago, I ate at Chuy’s and loved their creamy jalapeno dip. I have been trying to recreate it ever since. When I found the recipe below, I was absolutely tickled to death. I love it’s fresh flavor and that it can be served with chips or veggies for those low carbing. Try it! I know you’ll love it!

Creamy Jalapeno Dressing

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayo
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lime
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Small handful cilantro
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds and stem removed (use gloves!)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency. If too thick, add a bit of buttermilk. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Who doesn’t love a good queso? With delicious, creamy cheese. Just enough spice. The American cheese melts amazingly well and is about $6/lb at the deli counter. You will be so in love with this dip that you won’t want to eat anything else. 

Queso Blanco

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeno, seeds and membranes removed, using gloves
• 12 oz white American cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4-2/3 cup cream, depending on the consistency
• 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Serve with chips.

Both recipe are from Confections of a Foodie Bride.

Smashed Black Beans with Jalapenos

Tags

beans, black beans, food, jalapeno, Mexican, side dish, smashed

I was out of the usual Mexican accompaniments (read: prepackaged Spanish rice) so I decided to make my own. It wasn’t hard at all. And I think I will keep it up. They have way more flavor than typical refried beans.

Smashed Black Beans with Jalapenos

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, mostly drained
• 1/8 cup bacon grease (I know, not healthy at all)
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and membranes removed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup shredded cheese

In a saucepan, saute the jalapenos, garlic, onions, and spices until the garlic is very fragrant. Add in the black beans and heat until warm. On a large plate, smash small amounts of the beans with a heavy object (I used the bottom of a sturdy glass). Add smashed beans back into pan and heat. Top with cheese. Serves 2.

Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto (and an Award!)

Tags

food, grilled, jalapeno, Mexican, pesto, summer, tilapia

First off, let me thank Adventures of a Cake Diva for nominating Annashortcakes for  the Inspiring Blog Award!

Two awards in a month! How lucky am I! I am so happy that this blog has reached others in a positive way. I hope I continue to be inspiring to you and I look forward to being inspired by you!

Award Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you. (see above)
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers that you admire or inspire you.
4. Go leave a comment and let the people know you have nominated them.

The Seven Things:

1. I grew up on a farm with a menagerie of animals, tobacco, hay, and a summer garden.
2. Quite opposite of the Cake Diva, I am much better at savory main dishes and sides rather than desserts.
3. I have recently starting reading non-fiction more than fiction.
4. I sleep at least 7 hours a night, otherwise you DO NOT want to be around me. Trust me.
5. I want to write a novel. I am just having troubles getting started. 🙂
6. The thoughts of having a baby scares me! I don’t know if I will be as good a mother as my future child deserves.
7. I am so annoyed that society has all these rules for what makes a woman beautiful. Good hair, white teeth, flawless skin, skinny with no cellulite. It is impossible to live up to these expectations. And even though I know real beauty is from within, I still kill it at the gym, whiten my teeth, and obsess over my pores. Being a girl is so hard!

My Inspirations:

Korena in the Kitchen (check out her Cherry Blossom Pie with Sourdough Crust), Cook Eat Live Vegetarian, The Canada Cheese Man, Griffin’s Grub, Cooking in Japan, Charlotte au Chocolat, While Chasing Kids, Frugal Feeding, Vogue Vegetarian, Frozen Moments, The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say SHHH, Go Lightly Gourmet, Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, The Southern Lady Cooks, and Sydney’s Kitchen

Now on to today’s recipe…. Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto

With the exception of my “blow out” meal last week, I seem to be on a roll with these healthy meals. I love that I don’t feel deprived or starving after eating these dishes. This is proof that you can eat healthy and be satisfied.

One Year Ago: Mustard BBQ Sauce

Grilled Tilapia with Jalapeno Pesto

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 jalapeno peppers, charred on a grill or under a broiler
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare grill as your normally would. With gloves on, remove the seeds and membrane of the jalapenos. In a food processor or blender, combine the jalapenos, cilantro, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Grill one side of the tilapia about 2 minutes. Flip over and spread a decent layer of the pesto over the fish. Finish grilling until flaky. Serves 4.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

Tags

gluten free, grill, jalapeno, peppers, poppers, summer

Who doesn’t love jalapeno poppers?!? If you are one of those people who avoid spicy things, do not fear this recipe. Removing the seeds and the membrane really cools these peppers down.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

• 12 jalapenos, stems, seeds and membranes removed (with as few cuts to the pepper wall as possible)
• 1/2 package cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Herbs to taste (I used thyme, garlic, onion, and basil)
• 1/2 package bacon
• Toothpicks

Combine the cheeses and the herbs; mix well. Stuff the cheese into the peppers and use the toothpicks to hold together any pepper wall you had to cut. Wrap with bacon slice. Grill over medium heat until the pepper skin starts to blacken. Serve hot.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Tags

appetizer, cream cheese, easy, jalapeno, popper, quick

This past weekend was super busy. The in-law came to visit and I was invited to the baby shower of a dear friend (along with three other events I had to skip). The picture below is of all my lovely former co-workers. It is a more attractive photo than the poppers 🙂 Having such friends is a blessing!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the cream cheese and mayo. Add the jalapenos and mix well. Top with the parmesan cheese and microwave for 3 minutes. Serve with bread or torilla chips.

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

Tags

bread, Dinner, jalapeno, Supper

This recipe is courtesy of Fifteen Spatulas. It went well with the previously posted beef stew. I like that this concept could be tailored in many different ways with different cheeses, herbs, and breads.

Ready for the oven-

Warm and bubbly from the oven-

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 green onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno
pinch of salt and pepper
Crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a food processor, combine the ingredients until smooth. Spread onto the bread and bake until bubbly.