Jalapeño Poppers

The internet is such a marvelous place, isn't it? I love finding inspiration in the most unlikely of places. Buzzfeed is one of my favorite sites (I'm totally addicted to the quizzes), so when I found this list of 33 Genius 3 Ingredient Recipes, I knew I couldn't pass it up.

If you've been reading, y'all will know that I'm a fan of all things spicy. Jalapeños are the love of my life, and this recipe is no different. 

Ingredients: 

12 wooden toothpicks 

4 ounces (113 grams) Philadelphia chive and onion cream cheese, softened

6 jalapeño chiles halved lengthwise, seeded

4 slices of bacon

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375° F (190° C). Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Soak toothpicks in small bowl of water to prevent burning.

2. In a small bowl mix cream cheese. Spoon into chiles.
3. Cut each bacon slice crosswise into thirds. Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each stuffed chile half; secure with soaked toothpick. Place onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until bacon is crispy and chiles are tender. Serve warm.

When I say that these are positively divine, you have to believe me! A little fresh cilantro or parsley added for garnish kicks up those intense flavors even more. If you're still wanting some more spice leave a few of the seeds in and the membrane intact. These awesome hors d'oeuvres are sure to leave everyone wanting more. And with only 3 easy ingredients there's no reason for you not to try it!   

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Are you guys on Pinterest? I recently joined and I am already addicted. It's such a great way to keep track of recipes to test out, crafts to try, and I've even got a board full of tattoo inspiration.

I'm a fan of all things spicy, so I pinned this recipe to try during Lent when I wasn't eating meat. I substituted shallots for onions, red jalapeño for green, and decided to add red bell pepper on a whim to give it a little color. It was absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon/15ml olive oil
1 shallot or onion, roughly chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 green jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
½ teaspoon/2ml cumin
2 cups/473ml cooked black beans
2 cups/473ml vegetable stock
lime juice, to taste
¼ cup/59ml non-fat Greek style yogurt
2 tablespoons/30ml chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat

2. Add the oil and sweat the onion (or shallot) for one minute

3. Add the garlic, jalapeño and cumin and continue cooking for one minute

4. Add the beans, vegetable stock, and yogurt and bring to a simmer (I'm not a fan of Greek yogurt, so I didn't add any to my soup, but use the Greek yogurt to tame some of the spiciness of the jalapeno.)

Please excuse my stove and cookware, everything in my apartment is super old.

5. Let simmer for five minutes and transfer soup to a blender

6. Working in batches, puree the soup until smoothness desired and return to a medium sauce pot on medium heat

7. Season the soup to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice

8. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle some yogurt over the soup and garnish with the chopped cilantro.

This recipe alone made me fall in love with Pinterest. Being able to easily share photos, upload recipes and borrow ideas from people all over the world is amazing, and shows just how much social media has grown over the years. If you love spicy food like I do, this recipe is amazing! And even if your taste buds can't handle it, just add the Greek yogurt to tame it down. If you're on Pinterest, let me know in the comments, and find me: Matilda Makes!