Tag: make ahead

BAKED JALAPENO POPPERS


When my husband and I found a plethora of long hot peppers on the reduced rack at the grocery store, we immediately thought jalapeno poppers.  I know that jalapeno poppers, by name, are exclusive to peppers that are in fact jalapenos, but hey, when I am ever bothered by exclusivity in my kitchen, so  I decided to switch it up.  Here, I used two different kinds of peppers, and you will notice that I left the seeds in my version because after, bravely or through sheer stupidity, tasting a seed, I realized that these peppers were mild.  Please feel free remove the pith and seeds if you choose.  Just choose a pepper that has enough internal space to be stuffed.

I have opted to bake these, although I will admit that when they are grilled on the barbecue, they are exceptional.  I wanted a version that I could eat guilt-free, okay, relatively guilt-free. They are easy to prepare and can be made ahead.  Creamy, cheesy, and spicy, with a little crunch from the bread crumbs, they disappear fast in our home.

The only warnings I wish to impart is to wear gloves when handling hot peppers, taste the seed very cautiously, or better yet, get someone else to taste it!  The things we have to do for an exceptional popper!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

8 peppers, suitable for stuffing, slit down the middle, if preferred, seeds & pith removed
100 grams of cream cheese, softened
20 grams of cheddar cheese, finely grated
1 green onion, trimmed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 cup of dried bread crumbs, plus more if needed

METHOD

  1.  Wash and slit the peppers down the middle only on side, being careful not to pierce through to the other side of the pepper. Two of my peppers were quite large, so I opted to split them in half versus slitting them.  If preferred, remove the pith and seeds.  Set aside.
  2. Using a small spatula or a spoon, combine both cheeses, green onion, and  fresh coriander, ensuring that they form one cohesive mass.  Depending on the size of your peppers, form little nuggets of the cheese mixture.  This helps when stuffing the peppers.
  3. Stuff the peppers.  My long peppers, took  1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling, while my small peppers took 1 tablespoon.  Steps 1 to 3 can be made ahead.  If making ahead, store them in the fridge till ready to bake.
  4. When ready to bake, place the bread crumbs on a plate, and dip the stuffed peppers into the bread mixture.  Press down to ensure that the exposed cheese mixture is coated in bread crumbs.  The more bread crumbs you can press on, the crunchier your end popper result.
  5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven on a greased cookie sheet for 10-12 or until the bread crumbs have browned, and the cheese is melted.  Be careful, its hot!

 

RadhaLeave a comment

OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST WITH MAPLE BERRY syrup

On weekends, my husband and I like to take extra time for breakfast.  We love to linger over our morning coffee, talk about our plans for the day, and enjoy our first meal of the day together.  These cute muffin tin french toasts are delicious way to start the morning, and they are easy to put together.  In fact, these were prepared the night before.  You might wonder why these french toasts are in a muffin tin, and the answer is simple.  I had leftover cubed bread from my turkey stuffing recipe, needless to say, I overestimated just how much I needed.  Since the bread was already cubed, and since I badly wanted french toast, in they went into the muffin tin.

The custard for the french toast is simple, and it involves the few ingredients that are usual for this eggy bread recipe.  Personally, I don’t like seeing the white of an egg on my cooked french toast, so the only tip I wish to impart for this easy recipe is to thoroughly whisk the eggs with the milk.  This ensures that the pale yellow custard is harmonious throughout.
As for the compote, plump berries and maple syrup are simmered together to produce an aromatic topping.  If you do not have berries, frozen or fresh, please feel free to use whatever you have on hand, whether it is chopped apple, pear, banana or otherwise.    If using banana, I find that using a couple of pinches of grated nutmeg, just makes the compote sing.  You will note that I have quantified the amount of fruit required this compote, but please use whatever quantity you prefer.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4, 8 muffin cups)

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk, 1% or otherwise
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 one orange
grams of bread of your choice, a few days old, cubed
3 tablespoons of butter, melted

COMPOTE
1 cup of berries of your choice, fresh or otherwise
1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (couple of pinches)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 cup of maple syrup

METHOD

    1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly.  While continuing to whisk, slowly incorporate the milk.  Then whisk in the sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and the orange zest.  Transfer the custard to a measuring cup that is easy to pour.  Set aside.
    1. Brush 2/3 of the melted butter over the muffins tins, then fill with cubes of bread 3/4 way full, packing the bread down as you go.  Divide the custard equally among the prepared muffins tins, while continuing to still pack down the bread to help absorb the custard.  Wrap in cling film and let rest in the fridge overnight.
    1. In the morning, preheat the oven to 375 F.  Remove the muffin tin from the fridge and discard the cling film.  Dot each prepared french toast with a small cube of butter.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, till french toast has puffed up, lightly browned, and the custard has set.   Let cool for 1 minute, then carefully plate up the french with a generous drizzle of the compote.
  1. Compote.  While the french toast is baking, combine all of the compote ingredients, bring to a low simmer.  If desired, add a small splash water to bring the compote to the consistency you prefer.

RadhaLeave a comment