Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Jalepeno Poppers

Jalepeno peppers. I only eat them when chopped fine, mainly in salsas. However, when I went to the produce market last week, I only need two peppers, but they only sold them in a package of 16. Being that they were only $1.15 for the entire thing, I just picked them up and figured I'd use them for something. Since I was hosting Bunco this month, I decided that I was going to make Jalepeno Poppers as one of our appetizers. I've never made them before so of course, I had to give them a little Mediterranean flare with the sun dried tomatoes and basil. Now, I can only go based on the reviews of 11 other women, but they all LOVED them. They were so easy and quick to make too...BONUS! 


Sorry for the picture by the way. They were half gone when my friend Cindy asked me if I had taken a picture of it yet. (See, they know me too well! lol) Remember  on my Blogiversary post when I mentioned  about the pitfalls of being a food blogger and parties...doesn't mix well  or at least the pictures aren't as good. I guess I'll have to make these again when I have some more time to photograph them better. Anyone want them when I'm done?! ;)

Sun Dried Tomato & Asiago Cheese Jalepeno Poppers
10 Jalepeno Peppers
4 oz. Low Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 c. Asiago Cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 c. Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs


Cut the jalepeno peppers in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, rinse under cool water and place on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, Asiago, tomatoes and basil and blend together until all ingredients are smooth. Using a small spoon, fill each jalepeno half with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the breadcrumbs and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes until the tops have lightly browned. Makes 20 poppers. 


Nutritional Information per 1/2 Pepper: Calories 42, Carbs 2g, Fat 3g, Protein 2g


Enjoy!


P.S. It's also Day 1 of the 3-5 Day Jump Start I posted this past Saturday. Good luck for all of you who are taking the challenge with me! 

Guacamole Pasta with Sausage

I wanted guacamole on Superbowl Sunday, but never got around to making it. So I was left with four overly ripe avocados. Instead of making guacamole with it during the week, I decided to make a meal out of it and mix it with some pasta and sausage, which I had also taken out to make something with on that day. This pasta was so quick and easy to make and I loved the way the fresh cilantro, lime and avocado made a creamy sauce for the pasta. It was a definite hit for dinner with the family! You could also use pre-made guacamole if you have some left over or use chicken instead of sausage, I bet it would taste just as good. 

Guacamole Pasta with Sausage
1 lb. Pasta (I used Fusilli)
6 Links Italian Sausage, casings removed
1 c. Red Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Jalepeno Pepper, finely chopped
1 Lime, zest and juice
2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 Ripe Avocados, removed from shell, pit removed and chopped
1/2 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth


In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. In a separate large saute pan, add the sausage and break it apart until small bits and cook until there is no pink left. Next, add the onion, garlic, jalepeno, lime zest and juice and cilantro. Saute until the onions become translucent. Next add the tomatoes and avocado and mix well. Set aside until your pasta is cooked. After draining the water from the pasta, put it back in the pot and add the sausage mixture and the chicken broth, mix well until all ingredients have combined. Serves 6. 


Enjoy!

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Shared at Lady Behind the Curtain 2/8/12
Shared at Newlyweds Blog 2/8/12

Copycat Recipe Week: Day 7-Jalapeno & Sweet Potato Fritters

Today is Day 7 and the final day of my Copycat Recipe Week. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know some of these other great food bloggers as much as I have had trying out their fantastic recipes. They're all on Facebook too so if you go like them, tell them I sent you over. 


The last recipe (but certainly not the least!) comes from Bia at Bia's Rich and Sweet Kitchen. The other night, I was in a lime/cilantro type mood again (recipe to follow next week) and I wanted a side dish to go with what I was making. These sweet potato fritters were incredible and unbelievably light. We don't like a lot of heat in our food so I did cut down on the amount of jalepeno peppers and onions and I added a little bit of cilantro, to blend the flavors with my other menu items that evening, but everything else remained the same. Thanks for a great recipe idea Bia!

Jalapeno & Sweet Potato Fritters
1 Large or 2 Small Sweet Potato
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper, chopped (measured about 1 tbsp.)
1/2 c. Red Onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 + 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 c. Cornmeal (I used the yellow kind)
1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
1/4 c. Water


Prick sweet potatoes with a knife or fork and microwave for about 10 minutes or until inside is soft. Peel potatoes while warm, add the insides to a bowl and mash them with a fork. Set them aside. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and cook the onions over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add jalapenos and cilantro and saute for another 3 minutes. In a medium bowl mix flour, cornmeal, salt, paprika and baking powder. Add jalapeno/onion mixture, egg and water to sweet potatoes and mix it well. Add dry ingredients and mix it all together. Make balls, about 1 heaping soup spoon worth out of the mixture. Preheat the oven to 425F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and lightly fry the fritters on all sides. (I flattened mine so they were flat) Grease a cookie sheet. Place lightly fried fritters on cookie sheet and bake them on preheated oven for 10 minutes. They should be firm and slightly puffed. Makes 8 fritters. 


Weight Watchers Points+ Value Per Serving = 4


Enjoy!