Today for guest blogger Wednesday, we’d like to welcome Sonia from The Healthy Foodie Blog. Sonia takes some absolutely beautiful pictures of her paleo recipes, and we have been long time followers of hers on Instagram. This recipe for Dairy Free Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers looks amazing!
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First off, I would like to thank Matt and Stacy for having me here today. It truly is an honor for me to be posting as a guest on Paleo Parents.
I’d even say that it calls for celebration. And who says celebration says party food. And to me, nothing says party food quite like the kind of food that you can pick up with your fingers, wouldn’t you agree?
When it comes to finger food, I don’t think that it gets much better than these Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers.
Hey, we’re talking hot & spicy Jalapeno Peppers stuffed with a melt-in-your-mouth-creamy nut mixture, to help tone down that heat a notch ya know, then wrapped in crispy BACON to tie all the flavors together and take ’em right over the top!
I’m telling you, these are even more addictive than potato chips. You won’t be able to have just one. Chances are, they’ll be gone before you even manage to put that plate down…
To make them, the first thing you need to do is cut your jalapeno peppers in half as neatly as possible. Try and cut right in the middle of the stem so both halves get to look pretty!
Then, you’ll want to carefully remove the seeds and membranes. If you happen to be the proud owner of grapefruit spoons, now would be a very good time to take them out! They work tremendously well for this task. If not, well, do not despair. A regular spoon will also do the job just fine.
Once the peppers have been sliced in half, we need to stuff them!
To make the stuffing, we’ll process some soaked cashews along with some paleo mayo, coconut butter, water and vinegar until smooth and creamy.
Then we’ll add a little bit of salt, pepper, garlic and mustard, and finally, we’ll throw in some toasted hazelnuts and coconut to give it a little bit of a chunky texture.
If time permits, refrigerate your filling for at least an hour so it firms up a little.
Stuff your cashew mixture into the jalapeno halves with a spoon, dividing it as equally as you can between the 16 peppers.
Try and smooth the tops as nicely as you can. We want those bites to look pretty, don’t we?
Now wrap a slice of bacon around each popper and place them on a baking rack.
Place that rack onto a rimmed baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling becomes beautifully golden and the bacon crisps up. Remove the poppers from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Oh, and by all means, don’t let the drippings go to waste! Drizzle ’em all over your poppers before serving them to your hungry guests. Sprinkle a little bit of fresh parsley, too, for a little bit of added color!
I say these babies will be a definite hit at your next party…. So much so, you should seriously consider doubling the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight (or at least 6 hours)
- 1/4 cup paleo mayo
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 2 tablespoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8 medium jalapeno peppers
- 16 slices of carefully sourced bacon
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Lightly toast the hazelnuts and coconut in a dry skillet set over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
- Rinse the cashews under cold running water and drain well. Add them to the bowl of a small food processor, along with the paleo mayo, coconut butter, water and vinegar; process until smooth and creamy.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic and mustard process to combine.
- Throw in the toasted hazelnuts and coconut and give the mixture a few quick pulses until just incorporated, no more. You want the filling to have chunky pieces of hazelnuts in it.
- Refrigerate your filling for at least an hour to firm it up some.
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Cut your jalapeno peppers in half and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. If you happen to have grapefruit spoons, by all means, take one out now. They work tremendously well for this. If not, a regular spoon will also do the trick.
- Take your cashew mixture out of the refrigerator and stuff it into the jalapeno halves with a spoon, dividing it as equally as you can between the 16 peppers.
- Wrap a slice of bacon around each popper and place them on a baking rack while you work on the others.
- Place that rack onto a rimmed baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling becomes golden and the bacon crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Don't let those drippings go to waste! Drizzle 'em all over your poppers, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve to your hungry guests.
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Sonia! is the seasoned home cook behind The Healthy Foodie, a healthy living blog with a strong paleo flavor. She went from overweight, heavy drinker, chain smoker and food junkie to big time health and fitness aficionado.
Having recently discovered the myriad benefits of the paleo lifestyle, she decided to fully adopt it and now cooks strictly paleo dishes. Her blog has been her diary on this journey to health for well over 3 years now. You are welcome?to flip through its?pages and who knows, maybe find one or two recipes that will inspire you… paleo or not!
Connect with Sonia: |Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | The Healthy Foodie Blog |
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