Category Archives: Recipes

Homemade Jalapeno Poppers

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Another appetizer I love to bring to holiday gatherings is jalapeno poppers. These little suckers are so easy to make, and addictively delicious too – people always want to know how to make them (and you can tell them the recipe right there on the spot – it is so easy!) I stumbled across these a few years ago on The Pioneer Woman and have spread the homemade jalapeno popper love ever since.

Mmm. Jalapenos, cream cheese and bacon.  You can’t go wrong.

jalapeno poppers recipe

Ingredients:
1 dozen jalapenos (this will make 24 poppers)
1 package cream cheese
1 package bacon

Directions:
Slice jalapenos length wise, then scoop out the inner white bits including the seeds. Be careful to check up under the stem – seeds can hide in there and make the popper very spicy! I usually wear gloves to protect my fingertips and use a small pointy spoon to de-seed. Be careful not to touch your eyes while doing this part.
Soften cream cheese and then smear it into each jalapeno shell.
Chop your package of bacon into thirds, and wrap one piece around each popper, securing with a toothpick.
Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

jalapeno poppers recipe

jalapeno poppers recipe

Hot Spinach and Artichoke dip

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hot spinach dip

The holidays are creeping up on us, and this year I want to share some of my tried and true Christmas recipes over the next couple of weeks. I’ll start you off with this yummy, fragrant appetizer that’s deliciously impressive when you bring it to a gathering of family and friends. It disappears quickly and tastes great with pita bread, crackers, nacho chips, and even veggies. A little chopping aside, it’s very easy to make!

Ingredients:
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup plus 1T Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 can artichokes (about 5 marinated) chopped
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
¼ cup mozzeralla
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Chop spinach and artichokes finely. Heat cream cheese until soft, then stir in sour cream, garlic, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Plop into a greased baking dish and cook for 20 minutes or until the top starts to get bubbly and brown.
To make pita chips: Drizzle a bit of oil into a frying pan and heat over medium. Slice your pita into 8 wedges and place in pan, turning often, til they start to brown, about 7-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

hot spinach dip

Meat free: Quinoa Salad

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I made a really delicious lunch today – meat-free, very healthy and best of all – delicious! This one is going in the lunch time rotation (it would make a nice light dinner as well).

The recipe comes from the Gluten Free Goddess, whose blog you should check out. Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related foods like barley and rye, and can’t be digested by people with celiac disease. I have 3 family members who have celiac’s so I’m always on the lookout for good, gluten free recipes.

Also, I’m on a huge quinoa kick. It is so good, very healthy, and useable in lots of different meals.

To make the Quinoa Salad:

1 cup organic quinoa
salt
2 good handfuls of baby spinach leaves, washed, drained, maybe chopped
1 large ripe pear, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chilled chick peas, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (I omitted)
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
A handful of pecans (toasted if you want)

Dressing:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

quinoa salad ingredients

I rinsed well and added 1 cup of quinoa to a saucepan, then 2 cups of water. Cover and boil, then turn down to a low simmer until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender (about 15-20 minutes). Fluff with a fork and dump into a large bowl.
Chop, rinse, and prepare your spinach leaves, pear, and chick peas, then add to the bowl.
Whisk oil, balsamic vinegar, and syrup (I increased these by 1 T each from the original recipe) and mix into salad. Season with salt and pepper, then add pecans.
Original recipe: Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach and Chick Peas in a Maple Vinaigrette

spinach quinoa salad

Roasted Chickpeas

I roasted my leftover chickpeas the following day to use them up. Just drizzle about 1/2 T of oil, 1t garlic powder, 1/2 t curry powder, and 1/2 t cumin over the leftover ones. Close up the container, give it a good shake, then dump onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Nice and crunchy and a healthier snack than chips or pretzels!

roasted chickpeas