Ever tried the Garden Vegetable Philadelphia Cream Cheese? (Or a store brand knock-off) It’s one of my favorite flavors. Well, I had the idea to make a spicier version with the addition of green chiles. And then my creativity got the best of me and I ended up with something quite different … and I think it’s much better. Lime juice and cumin make a big difference. And I go a little light on the green chiles. I didn’t want it hot – I wanted it tangy with a bit of heat. Tangy Veggie Spread is the right name for it.
In my book, this is to die for. And, of course, if you eat enough of it, you just might. It’s hard to stop. I ended up having this on celery and crackers for breakfast. It filled me up pretty fast.
Tangy Veggie Spread is great with veggies, bagels, crackers … I’d put it on a sandwich instead of cheese or mayo. Really really tasty … and very easy to make. Plus it keeps for several weeks. It’s not just for parties – make up a tub of it to use in recipes.
Hey, try this and let me know if you like it as much as I do!
Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till you get desired consistency.
Serve on bagels, crackers, with veggies... whatever!
Store in a covered container in fridge. Keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Commentary: Ever tried the Garden Vegetable Philadelphia Cream Cheese? (Or a store brand knock-off) It's one of my favorite flavors. Well, I had the idea to make a spicier version with the addition of green chiles. And then my creativity got the best of me and I ended up with something quite different ... and I think it's much better. Lime juice and cumin make a big difference. And I go a little light on the green chiles. I didn't want it hot - I wanted it tangy with a bit of heat. Tangy Veggie Spread is the right name for it.
In my book, this is to die for. And, of course, if you eat enough of it, you just might. It's hard to stop. I ended up having this on celery and crackers for breakfast. It filled me up pretty fast.
Tangy Veggie Spread is great with veggies, bagels, crackers ... I'd put it on a sandwich instead of cheese or mayo. Really really tasty ... and very easy to make. Plus it keeps for several weeks. It's not just for parties - make up a tub of it to use in recipes.
Hey, try this and let me know if you like it as much as I do!
Fiery Fig Fantasy is one of those elegant appetizers that has a truly memorable taste.
You know those appetizers that are elegant & special that you can make in minutes with just a few ingredients? Like prosciutto and melon? This is one of those dishes.
My sister, Suzanne, has been visiting & I wanted to make a quick sweet spicy appetizer with what I already had. I took some whole wheat pita bread, tore it into about 6-8 pieces, spread some fig jam I had on top, then topped it with thinly slided Kerrygold Dubliner cheese. Wow!
Next day I made it again but added a thin layer of 505 Green Chile on top of the jam, then topped it with the cheese and nuked it just until the cheese melted. Double-wow! Suzanne pronounced it top-tier restaurant quality as an appetizer. The chiles turned it from a really good appetizer into a distinctive and memorable one. And you can literally make it in minutes.
If you don’t have Dubliner cheese (which I bought at Costco), you can use a sharp cheddar. Lately I’ve been cooking with the 505 Southwestern Green Chile packets – these are 2-ounce packets of green chile (1/4 cup) like you might get ketchup or mustard in but bigger. Very convenient. Often I cook with small amounts of green chile and have trouble with the rest going bad. Green chile only keeps 1-2 weeks in the fridge. With a packet of 505, for this recipe I just squirt a little dollop of green chile on the top of each piece of pita and then spread it with a knife. So quick!
I will later try this with other kinds of jam – probably apricot first. There’s nothing like a sweet spicy appetizer to hit the spot! This is so simple but also special – you gotta try it!
A simple, elegant appetizer that combines sharp cheese, the sweet unusual taste of fig jam, and just the right amount of heat from hot green chiles.
Author: Anita
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Serves: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
1 Whole wheat pita bread
2 tbsp fig jam
2 tbsp 505 green chiles
6 oz Kerrygold Dubliner cheese
Instructions
Shave slices no more than ⅛ inch thick from the block of Dubliner cheese and set aside.
Tear a pita bread into 6-8 wedge-shaped pieces. Spread a thin layer of jam on each piece, then a thin layer of 505 green chile and place on a microwave-safe plate. Top with a layer of the cheese.
Microwave on high for about 45 seconds to a minute or just until cheese melts.
Serve immediately & enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ pita Calories: 450 Fat: 27 g Saturated fat: 27 Unsaturated fat: 0 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 26 g Sugar: 4 g Sodium: 790 mg Fiber: 5 g Protein: 21 g Cholesterol: 0
A spicy, easy Paleo low-carb nutritious main dish full of peppers, chicken & tomatoes
I love bell peppers (along with chile peppers), and I happened to have a whole lot of them right now. This is a very easy, tasty, and plenty nutritious dish – just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and 6 hours later you’ve got a satisfying meal. This is also very spicy. I like it that way, but it might be too hot for some. So you can cut down on the green chiles (or use really mild green chiles – I made it with hot ones). I served it on rice, which blows the Paleo qualifications, but you can serve it just in a bowl with no carbs.
Want it richer? Just add 2 tbsp sour cream or cream cheese. Definitely adds another dimension. Hope you enjoy this!
Cut chicken into chunks or strips and place in slow cooker.
Slice bell peppers into strips and layer on top of chicken. Add onions, beans, all spices, and pour the Rotel tomatoes on top.
Cook on low for 6 hours.
If richer flavor desired, stir in 2 tbsp sour cream.
Serve on rice & enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: I love bell peppers (along with chile peppers), and I happened to have a whole lot of them right now. This is a very easy, tasty, and plenty nutritious dish - just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and 6 hours later you've got a satisfying meal. This is also very spicy. I like it that way, but it might be too hot for some. So you can cut down on the green chiles (or use really mild green chiles - I made it with hot ones). I served it on rice, which blows the Paleo qualifications, but you can serve it just in a bowl with no carbs.
Want it richer? Just add 2 tbsp sour cream or cream cheese. Definitely adds another dimension. Hope you enjoy this!
This Tex Mex Slow Cooker Chili is really classic comfort food. It’s the type of dish that you can throw together in no time that is also completely satisfying for the whole family. It’s robust and flavorful yet not very spicy. Plus, it’s nutritious and is a balanced meal all by itself. It’s plenty meaty, but has just the right amount of vegetables.
I made this with Boulder Breakfast Sausage – a very nice, mild, fairly lean sausage – didn’t even need to drain it. My go-to sausage for dishes like this is usually a 1-lb chub of King Soopers Mild Italian Sausage. I rarely use Mexican sausages (like chorizo or longaniza) as most brands are inferior to a good Italian sausage. The Boulder Breakfast Sausage was an excellent choice for this.
This is the kind of dish I make a giant vat of and freeze. Unfortunately I made a regular batch and my son confiscated most of it, so I’m getting just about 3 servings worth for myself.
Try this, add it to your favorites, and you just might find yourself making it again and again!
3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes or 4 cans Rotel Tomatoes w/ Chiles
1 15 oz can black beans
1 16 oz package frozen corn
1 cup chopped onion
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ cup diced green chiles
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp black pepper
salt to taste
shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for toppings
Instructions
Lightly brown the sausage and drain off excess fat. Dump sausage, beef, diced tomatoes, chiles, and seasonings into slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Adjust seasonings and chiles to desired heat & taste.
Serve topped with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream
Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: This Tex Mex Slow Cooker Chili is really classic comfort food. It's the type of dish that you can throw together in no time that is also completely satisfying for the whole family. It's robust and flavorful yet not very spicy. Plus, it's nutritious and is a balanced meal all by itself. It's plenty meaty, but has just the right amount of vegetables.
I made this with Boulder Breakfast Sausage - a very nice, mild, fairly lean sausage - didn't even need to drain it. My go-to sausage for dishes like this is usually a 1-lb chub of King Soopers Mild Italian Sausage. I rarely use Mexican sausages (like chorizo or longaniza) as most brands are inferior to a good Italian sausage. The Boulder Breakfast Sausage was an excellent choice for this.
This is the kind of dish I make a giant vat of and freeze. Unfortunately I made a regular batch and my son confiscated most of it, so I'm getting just about 3 servings worth for myself.
Try this, add it to your favorites, and you just might find yourself making it again and again!
I picked up Aidells Italian Style Pulled Chicken at King Soopers this week just to try it. I like their sausages a lot and thought this looked interesting. I often cook with Italian sausage rather than Mexican (like chorizo) as I find they are often higher quality with better flavor, and there are many seasonings in common.
This is a very flavorful pulled chicken – tastes very Italian, but a simple addition of green chiles and cumin gives it a distinct Mexican flavor. What took this over the top from a good taco to really special was the lime juice – squeeze fresh lime juice liberally on top and the taste really pops! For quick coleslaw I just used the Trader Joe’s Coleslaw Kit.
This is so easy to put together and is the kind of dish you’d find at a really good Mexican restaurant. Hope you like it!
Dump the pulled chicken into a medium skillet, stir in the green chiles and cumin, and heat for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
While the meat is heating, arrange 4 plates with 2 tortillas each. Top each tortilla with about ½ cup coleslaw.
When chicken is thoroughly heated, place about ¼ cup of chicken on top of each taco. Put a slice of avocado on each, 4 lime wedges and a big dollop of sour cream on the side.
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: I picked up Aidells Italian Style Pulled Chicken at King Soopers this week just to try it. I like their sausages a lot and thought this looked interesting. I often cook with Italian sausage rather than Mexican (like chorizo) as I find they are often higher quality with better flavor, and there are many seasonings in common.
This is a very flavorful pulled chicken – tastes very Italian, but a simple addition of green chiles and cumin gives it a distinct Mexican flavor. What took this over the top from a good taco to really special was the lime juice – squeeze fresh lime juice liberally on top and the taste really pops! For quick coleslaw I just used the Trader Joe’s Coleslaw Kit.
Last week my blogger’s club got a tour of the new & expanded brewing facilities for the Holidaily Brewery in Golden. And we got got unlimited tastings of 5 of their beers – and all their beers are gluten-free. Sounds awful, huh? I was really surprised – they were very good. I’d never guess they were gluten-free. And we had a 5 course dinner catered by Dedicated Bistro, a food truck that’s at the brewery about 1 day a week.
One of the courses Dedicated Bistro served us was their grilled cheese sandwich – very, very good. It had brie, apricot jam, bacon, and fresh basil. So that sandwich inspired my version – a layer of apricot jam, loaded with bacon, and a layer of brie and diced green chiles. Worth the calories! I made mine on Costco’s multigrain bread instead of white, and I left the basil out. In the photo, you can’t really see the brie. That’s because I used triple-fat brie, which melts almost like butter and disappears quickly. But it still tastes awesome!
If you get a chance, try out the Holidaily beers in their taproom, or you can pick them up at King Soopers or Safeway. #howiholidaily, #denverbloggersclub
Cook the bacon, drain on paper towels, then crumble into large chunks.
Spread a layer of brie cheese on 1 slice of bread and a layer of apricot jam on the other.
Top one with a sparse layer of green chiles and the other with the crumbled bacon.
Put the two slices together, spread butter on the outside and grill in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned.
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: Last week my blogger's club got a tour of the new & expanded brewing facilities for the Holidaily Brewery in Golden. And we got got unlimited tastings of 5 of their beers - and all their beers are gluten-free. Sounds awful, huh? I was really surprised - they were very good. I'd never guess they were gluten-free. And we had a 5 course dinner catered by Dedicated Bistro, a food truck that's at the brewery about 1 day a week.
One of the courses Dedicated Bistro served us was their grilled cheese sandwich - very, very good. It had brie, apricot jam, bacon, and fresh basil. So that sandwich inspired my version - a layer of apricot jam, loaded with bacon, and a layer of brie and diced green chiles. Worth the calories! I made mine on Costco's multigrain bread instead of white, and I left the basil out. In the photo, you can't really see the brie. That's because I used triple-fat brie, which melts almost like butter and disappears quickly. But it still tastes awesome!
I’ve always loved chicken wraps, but never made them before. I’ve just ordered them at restaurants. They’re really pretty easy and can be served as a meal or appetizer. Plus they’re good for you. This recipe uses chicken breast meat that’s already cooked, so it’s a good way to use leftover chicken. I like the rotisserie chicken from Costco and sometime get the packages of chopped rotisserie chicken meat. You can also used canned chicken for this. With all the seasoning, you really can’t tell.
16 butter lettuce leaves or 8 mid-sized romaine lettuce leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1½ cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp minced pickled ginger
½ tsp Asian chili garlic sauce
¼ cup diced green chles
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained & finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cups diced or shredded chicken breast
Instructions
Rinse whole lettuce leaves and shake or pat water off. Set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion & cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, Asian chili garlic sauce, and green chiles.
Add water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil and chicken. Cook & stir until green onions begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Spoon into lettuce leaves and serve. Great either warm or cold
Notes
Commentary: I've always loved chicken wraps, but never made them before. I've just ordered them at restaurants. They're really pretty easy and can be served as a meal or appetizer. Plus they're good for you. This recipe uses chicken breast meat that's already cooked, so it's a good way to use leftover chicken. I like the rotisserie chicken from Costco and sometime get the packages of chopped rotisserie chicken meat. You can also used canned chicken for this. With all the seasoning, you really can't tell.
Tangy, spicy fresh sauce ideal on meats, burgers, and vegetables.
This has got to be one of my all-time favorite recipes. I think it’s spectacular. It’s actually a copycat recipe. In March I was in San Diego and visited a middle eastern place called The Kabob Shop. They had a jalapeño cilantro sauce that was amazing. I was ordering their chicken kabobs and smothering them with this sauce. Their other sauces were also excellent. I asked an employee what the ingredients were and he said, “jalapeños, cilantro, and olive oil.” The next time I went there, I asked another employee, and she said,”We get fired if we give away any of our recipes.” Well, I knew there had to be more than 3 ingredients. I took several tubs of it back to Denver so I could try to recreate it.
So I just spent a couple hours recreating this sauce – comparing theirs with mine and making adjustments – and I’m delighted with the result. It’s very close, and I like mine at least as much as theirs. I’ll be making this over and over.
I would generally serve this on meats and vegetables. When I finished up the chicken, I stirred more of this sauce into the rice and just ate that. Wonderful! You could serve this as a dip with chips or veggies, but it’s pretty tangy – I’d lean toward using it on meat, maybe fish, and burgers. This also keeps well, at least a few weeks.
Rinse cilantro & set aside. It's okay to include the stems.
Cut stems off the jalapeños, then slice open and remove seeds and veins. Loosely chop and put in 1 cup measuring cup. It should be about 1 cup of jalapeños.
Dump all ingredients into a blender and blend thoroughly.
If desired, adjust salt and vinegar to taste.
Serve with meats, rice, potatoes, whatever. Store in a container in fridge; keeps several weeks.
Notes
Commentary: This has got to be one of my all-time favorite recipes. I think it's spectacular. It's actually a copycat recipe. In March I was in San Diego and visited a middle eastern place called The Kabob Shop. They had a jalapeño cilantro sauce that was amazing. I was ordering their chicken kabobs and smothering them with this sauce. Their other sauces were also excellent. I asked an employee what the ingredients were and he said, "jalapeños, cilantro, and olive oil." The next time I went there, I asked another employee, and she said,"We get fired if we give away any of our recipes." Well, I knew there had to be more than 3 ingredients. I took several tubs of it back to Denver so I could try to recreate it.
So I just spent a couple hours recreating this sauce - comparing theirs with mine and making adjustments - and I'm delighted with the result. It's very close, and I like mine at least as much as theirs. I'll be making this over and over.
I would generally serve this on meats and vegetables. When I finished up the chicken, I stirred more of this sauce into the rice and just ate that. Wonderful! You could serve this as a dip with chips or veggies, but it's pretty tangy - I'd lean toward using it on meat, maybe fish, and burgers. This also keeps well, at least a few weeks.
Jalapeño margarita is a tasty variation on the classic margarita, easy to make thanks to Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Limeade
This one was a no-brainer. First my skiing buddy, Mike, brought me a jug of Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Limeade. I had no idea this product exists. Then, I love margaritas. I’ve had jalapeño margaritas before, and so far, they’ve always been really good. You can buy jalapeño margarita mix in liquor stores … but of course it’s fairly expensive. The TJ’s Jalapeño Limeade is weaker than a mix, naturally, since it’s meant to be a drink by itself. But mix it with classic margarita ingredients and it makes a large (8 oz) awesome margarita.
Experiment with this yourself – it really does make a wonderful margarita. Hope you enjoy it!
Pour limeade, tequila, triple sec and lime juice into a shaker and shake.
Rim a large margarita glass with lime juice, dip in salt, then fill halfway with crushed ice. Pour the margarita over and serve.
Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: This one was a no-brainer. First my skiing buddy, Mike, brought me a jug of Trader Joe’s Jalapeño Limeade. I had no idea this product exists. Then, I love margaritas. I’ve had jalapeño margaritas before, and so far, they’ve always been really good. You can buy jalapeño margarita mix in liquor stores … but of course it’s fairly expensive. The TJ’s Jalapeño Limeade is weaker than a mix, naturally, since it’s meant to be a drink by itself. But mix it with classic margarita ingredients and it makes a large (8 oz) awesome margarita.
Experiment with this yourself – it really does make a wonderful margarita. Hope you enjoy it!
Mushroom Garlic Quesadilla is an easy, versatile, yummy appetizer or even main dish. Simple ingredients, never-fail, and a tad unusual – rather elegant
Y’know? Quesadillas are as versatile as sandwiches. Actually they are a kind of sandwich – just with tortillas instead of bread. But I think they can be much more elegant and make great appetizers.
This is a yummy combination of mushrooms, garlic and chiles sauteed in butter and cooked up between two tortillas and shredded cheese. I ate the whole thing for breakfast. It is not low-cal. It occurred to me that this exact recipe would also make a great omelette – just cook up 2-3 beaten eggs in a skillet, top with shredded cheese and the mushroom mixture, and fold over.
You can also make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a few days. To make the quesadilla, just heat in the microwave, then assemble the quesadilla in a large skillet, and cook on both sides till cheese is fully melted and tortilla is starting to brown.
Sautee mushrooms in butter over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until fully soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in garlic and green chiles and cook another 2 minutes. Dump into a bowl and set aside.
In a quesadilla maker or large dry skillet, place a tortilla, spread with ¼ cup cheese, spread about ¼ of the mushroom filling, sprinkle ¼ of basil evenly, then another layer of ¼ cup cheese, and another tortilla.
If using a quesadilla maker, cook for about 3-5 minutes or until tortilla is lightly browned and cheese fully melted, then remove onto a platter. If using a skillet, cook over medium heat about 3-5 minutes, till cheese is melted; then flip over and cook other side for 3-5 minutes until starting to lightly brown, then place on a serving platter.
Repeat for remaining 3 quesadillas. If they cool off too much, you can microwave each for 30 sec to 1 minute and serve
Cut into 6 wedges and serve with lettuce, sour cream, avocado if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: Y'know? Quesadillas are as versatile as sandwiches. Actually they are a kind of sandwich - just with tortillas instead of bread. But I think they can be much more elegant and make great appetizers.
This is a yummy combination of mushrooms, garlic and chiles sauteed in butter and cooked up between two tortillas and shredded cheese. I ate the whole thing for breakfast. It is not low-cal. It occurred to me that this exact recipe would also make a great omelette - just cook up 2-3 beaten eggs in a skillet, top with shredded cheese and the mushroom mixture, and fold over.
You can also make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to a few days. To make the quesadilla, just heat in the microwave, then assemble the quesadilla in a large skillet, and cook on both sides till cheese is fully melted and tortilla is starting to brown.
