Roasted Jalapeno Peppers
Just because youre on a diet doesnt mean that you have to do without the great spicy taste of jalapeno poppers. Of course youll have to make some changes to the usual popper recipe but compared with the alternative of not eating them at all, I dont think that you will mind too much.
The jalapeno pepper in a jalapeno popper is hardly recognizable anymore. Before it was given the popper treatment it was a fresh vegetable. Then it’s stuffed with cheese and meat, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried in hot oil. There are some variations but most are just as unhealthy. You can substitute the bread crumbs with a batter or stuff with bacon instead of chorizo but there are much better ways to make a healthy stuffed jalapeno pepper.
First lets start with the cheese. Stuffing a jalapeno with cheese is done to cut the heat of the pepper. They say that dairy products are the best defense against spicy heat and that’s why poppers are often served with sour cream. Go with a low fat cheese or skip it completely but remember that it’ll probably have more kick to it without the cheese. Goat cheese, cheddar or even mozzarella are good choices.
So what can you stuff the pepper with to make add to the flavor without adding to the calories? How about adding a tiny bit of salsa to the cheese. Thats always a nice combination. If you feel you need even more vegetables then go with corn and or onions. Theyll mix well with the cheese.
When cooking your stuffed jalapenos, you’re going to want a jalapeno pepper roaster. This cool device will keep the pepper upright during cooking. This way none of the stuffing will drip out and make a mess in your oven. They’re usually made of stainless steel and safe for either the oven or the barbecue. They make roasting stuffed peppers a lot easier.
Jalapeno poppers are delicious but there’s much better ways to get your fill of jalapenos. And the best way to do that is to avoid the deep fat fryer and try a roasted jalapeno pepper instead.
