Better-Than-Fried Jalapeno Poppers

I love jalapeno poppers. Spicy jalapeno peppers filled with melted cheese and fried to crispy deliciousness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Problem is that they are almost always ultra greasy and gut-busting from being deep-fried. Can you create a lighter, yet still delicious, jalapeno popper by baking instead of frying? You sure can!

These baked jalapeno poppers maybe too good. My husband and I ate an entire batch of these one night and we paid for it dearly. He still won't go near one. These are better than any of those fried jalapeno poppers I've had before. The cheese filling is creamy and full of flavor and doesn't dribble down your chin when you bite into the jalapeno. The panko bread crumbs give it a great crunch too. Spicy, cheesy, and crunchy, but light and fresh, these babies are awesome!

Ingredients:

• 16 jalapeno peppers
• 4 oz light cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup four
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups Ppnko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ranch dressing, for serving

1. Pre-heat over to 350.
2. Halve the jalapenos and clean out the seeds and ribs.
3. Mix together the cream cheese, jack cheese, and garlic powder. Fill jalapenos with cheese filling.
4. Mix together in small bowl the flour, salt, and pepper. In separate bowl, beat eggs and milk. Spread panko bread crumbs on a plate.
5. Lightly dredge each jalapeno in flour, then eggs, and then panko before placing on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 40 minutes and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with ranch dressing. 

Pastel de Tres Leches

My husband and I just spent a weekend in San Francisco. One of my favorite places to go while I'm in that area is a market in Oakland just across from the Rockridge BART station. It has the most breathtaking selection of meats, cheeses, wine, and an amazing little bakery. Having never tried tres leches cake, but hearing about it more and more, we went for a slice of it. One slice was apparently not enough because the day we got home my husband decided he is going to make a tres leches cake.

While cake soaked in milk sounds soggy and kinda icky, it is actually delicious. It's something you have to try to believe. Tres leches cake is a vanilla pound cake or butter cake that is soaked in 3 kinds of milk: heavy cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. It is moist and decadent, but not mushy. A light Chantilly cream (a fancy way of saying sweetened whipped cream) is the perfect topping for this rich cake. Tres leches cake is extremely popular in Latin America where it originated. Nestle claims they created the cake in an effort to increase canned milk sales, but it's history is unclear.

He picked out an Alton Brown recipe (isn't he amazing, by the way?) which you can find here. We did change up the whipped cream topping though. Using an electric mixer, we beat the cream on medium until thickened and you have soft to medium peaks, being careful not to over whip or it becomes grainy.

Creamy Spinach and Chicken Pasta

Pasta tossed with spinach and chicken in a creamy garlic sauce is one of my husband's signature dishes.The creamy sauce is made from low fat milk and a small amount of Parmesan which gives it a deceptively rich taste. This dish always reminds me of the time he made it for us while on our honeymoon in the Bahamas. After a long day at the beach it was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk (1-2%)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 lb chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 cups farfalle pasta, cooked
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large skillet, sweat the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is slightly browned, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the milk and broth, and bring to a simmer. Sauce will start to thicken in 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken, and return to a simmer. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
4. Add in spinach and allow to cook for just 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add pasta and Parmesan cheese, and toss well. Serve with more Parmesan sprinkled on top if desired. 

Mac N Cheese Soup

Mac n cheese soup might be my ultimate comfort food. I came up with this recipe while experimenting with cheese soups (Guinness and Irish cheddar, yum! but I digress) last year and it is always a hit with kids and adults alike. Plus it does't pack as many calories and fat as it's lighter in cheese and pasta than the regular mac n cheese, and I sneak in some pureed vegetables too.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups mirapoix
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you want)
• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni, cooked

1. In soup pot, melt butter and sautee mirepoix until tender. 
2. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add in chicken stock and (increase heat) bring to a low simmer. Soup should begin to thicken. Keep at a low simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and add in milk and cheese. Puree with immersion blender. Season to taste.
5. Stir in macaroni and serve.

Ernie's Tijuana Torte

I love potlucks at work because my coworkers make some awesome food! One of the many stars at these potlucks is Ernie's Tijuana Torte. It is a Mexican version of lasagna, layering tortillas with tomato meat sauce and cheese, and it is delicious! Ernie was kind enough to share his recipe with me which I made exactly as instructed (because you don't mess with perfection!).

My Tijuana Torte came out really saucy and the layers didn't really hold up, but I tend to have the same problem with traditional lasagna too. I think I put too much filling in between my layers so be sure to go light when you make this. Despite it's sloppy appearance, it tasted delicious! Now that I know how easy this is, I don't have to wait for a potluck next time I'm craving Ernie's Tijuana Torte. Thank, Ernie!

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1-1 lb can of whole tomatoes
• 1-8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-4 oz can diced green chiles.
• 1 packet of taco seasoning, or make your own by combining cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, etc.
• Flour tortillas
• 1 lb cheddar cheese, grated
• 1.5 cups sour cream

1. In large pan, saute onion in oil. Add ground beef and brown. Next, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, and seasoning, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Spoon the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish, creating a thin layer. Place a layer of tortillas over the mixture, tearing them if necessary. Spread more meat mixture over the tortillas and then a layer of cheese.
3. Continue to layer tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese. Before adding the last layer of tortillas, spread the sour cream over the mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until bubbly.