Jalapeno's

Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

adapted from food.com

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3lbs sweet potatoes

4 cups chicken broth, or 4 cups water with 4 cubes chicken bouillon

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 slices bacon

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup jalapeno

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup half-and-half

salt and pepper to taste

To make:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, rinse off your jalapenos, wrap in foil, and throw them in for 20 minutes. Then take them out and give them a rough chop.

Scrub your sweet potatoes and cut them in half. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add in sweet potatoes. Boil until you can stick them and they are soft. Drain and let them cool until you can handle them. Peel off the skin, set aside.

While potatoes are cooling, add butter to the soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute until onions are translucent, add garlic and saute about one more minute. Cook your bacon separately in the microwave, oven, or in a skillet. When cooked, break 3 of the slices into pieces and add to the onions and garlic.

Add chicken broth to the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Slice the peeled sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to the soup pot. Add jalapenos, cumin, cilantro, and half-and-half. Stir into soup. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Use your immersion blender or regular blender, to blend all the ingredients until they are smooth with no lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle remaining bacon and some cilantro on top.

Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread-I used multi grain sandwich bread

1/2 large avocado

4 thin slices havarti cheese

a little butter

To make:

Butter each piece of bread. Flip over and spread 1/4 avocado on two of the slices, on their opposite slice place 2 slices of havarti cheese. Make into a sandwich.

Cook sandwiches over medium heat in a non-stick pan. When one side gets nicely browned, flip it and brown the other side!

Enjoy!

Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients

12 extra-large jalapenos (with stems)
 3 cups (about 3/4 pound) grated mozzarella cheese
 2 quarts canola oil
 2 cups masa harina
 1 to 2 tsp. chipotle chili powder , to taste (optional)
 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt , plus more to taste
 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Note: Masa harina, a type of corn flour used to make traditional dishes like tortillas and tamales, is available in grocery stores and Mexican markets. When working with jalapeños, be careful not to touch your face; if you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear plastic gloves.
2. Place a rack in the oven about 8 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler. Arrange jalapeños on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until charred and softened but still somewhat firm, 7 to 8 minutes. The jalapeños can also be roasted over the open flame of a gas stove burner. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Working carefully, use a paring knife to scrape off and discard as much jalapeño skin as possible. Make a cut down 1 side of each jalapeño and remove ribs and seeds with a small spoon, being careful not to tear peppers further. To fill each jalapeño, firmly press together 1/4 cup cheese in the palm of your hand to form an oblong mass, then stuff inside jalapeño; set aside.
4. Pour oil into a large pot and heat over medium-high until oil registers 375° on a deep-fry thermometer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together masa harina, chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 2 3/4 cups water. Put flour in a wide, shallow dish.
5. Working in batches, roll jalapeños in flour, shaking off excess; then hold each by the stem and dredge in batter to coat completely. Carefully drop jalapeños into hot oil by their stems and fry, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, season with salt to taste, and serve warm.