Pickled Jalapenos

This is a favorite of mine. Nothing says authentic Mexican food quite like taqueria-style pickled jalapenos. Of course they are fantastic on any taco or quesadilla, but in our apartment these babies go on everything - sandwiches, eggs, cheese and crackers, salads - everything. They're super easy to make, and stay good for a really long time (no idea how long cause they never last long enough to find out).

You'll need:
-Jalapenos - sliced into rings (I would say 6-8 but it really depends on the size of the jalapenos, size of the      jar, and how many jars you are making)
-1 carrot -sliced into rings (optional)
-1/2 white onion - chopped (optional)
-2 cloves garlic - minced

For the Brine you'll need:
-1 cup water
-1 cup distilled white vinegar
-4 tbsp sugar
-2 tbsp kosher salt

Directions
(1) In a medium saucepan combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic. (Note: you will want to make extra brine if you are using larger jars, or making several jars full).
(2) Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
(3) Add the jalapenos, carrot, and onion and immediately remove pan from the heat. Use a spoon to press the vegetables down into the brine.
(4) Let sit for 10-15 minutes. The jalapenos will have turned a darker shade of green.
(5) Use tongs to remove the jalapenos (and other vegetables) from the brine and pack your jar(s) until they are full.
(6) Use a ladle to pour the brine into the jar(s) until they are filled to the brim and all vegetables are covered in brine.
(7) Let the jars cool to room temperature before putting the lids on.

Tips:
-I prefer using the hottest jalapenos I can find. I've seen some labeled 'medium' or 'mild' (mostly at farmers markets), but keep in mind that they will lose some heat in the pickling process. I have done this with both 'hot' and 'medium' peppers, and the 'hot' ones turn out to be what I would consider medium spicy.
-I've heard some people say to keep these in the fridge after you open them, but the pickling process does preserve the vegetables, and I've left jars on my counter for several weeks without a problem.

Maple Nut Date Truffles

I really like the chocolate pecan truffles I found and perfected a while back. However, I stumbled on another recipe using dates and maple syrup the other day that intrigued me. It was very good, but I think the chocolate pecan truffles are still my favorite.

Ingredients

6 dates, pitted

3/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon agave nectar

3 tabelspoons applesauce

about 1 cup of chocolate chips

First, through the almonds and pecans in the food processor. Pulse the nuts until they are well chopped, but still has some chunks of nuts (see picture above). Pour nuts in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Next, put the dates, vanilla, maple syrup, agave nectar and applesauce in the food process and mix until well combine until smooth. 

Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the nuts and stir with a spatula or spoon.

Form dough into balls and place in a seal-able container. Put in the freezer for about 5 or 10 minutes. Before taking the container out of the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (be careful not to burn). 

Dip the dough balls in the chocolate and place back in the container, preferably on top of wax paper. Once all balls have been dipped in chocolate put back in the freezer for another 5 to 10 minutes.

I find these are kept best in the refrigerator, especially if your kitchen is on the warm side.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chili

I am so excited that fall is finally here! To me, fall means nice weather, several big holidays to look forward to (namely Halloween), and pumpkin everything! I usually focus on pumpkin desserts but I thought I would try using pumpkin in something savory. I found a recipe for pumpkin chili and made a few modifications. It was so easy and delicious and we're going to have leftovers all week. This is the perfect recipe for a crisp fall evening.

Ingredients

about 1.25 pounds of turkey (you can also use beef)

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic

1 can red kidney beans

1 can white kidney beans

2 cans black beans

1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice

1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice

1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon chili powder (I would probably add more chili powder next time as we like spice and it did not come out very spicy)

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper

cinnamon to taste (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, cook turkey until it begins to brown. Drain any excess liquid. Stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the beans, tomato juice, diced tomatoes and pumpkin puree. Note, our pot was not large enough for the contents so we split it up into two pots and tried to divide ingredients as equally as possible. Season with the spices.

Simmer for about an hour, continuing to stir every 5 minutes or so.

While the chili was cooking I threw together some Jiffy cornbread muffins. You can buy a box at most grocery stores and while it is not the best cornbread it's pretty good and super easy. It pairs perfectly with the chili!

Enjoy!

Vegan Enchiladas

I found a recipe for vegan enchiladas that looked so good, I had to try it. The enchiladas turned out so well and were so filling you would never know it was vegan. I also had never realized how easy it is to make enchiladas! I definitely plan to repeat this recipe in the future.

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas (I highly recommend the corn & wheat tortillas from Trader Joes)

1 19oz jar enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe's enchilada sauce which was about 16 oz, but still worked well)

vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 package (11-14 oz) soft silken tofu

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

salt & pepper to taste

fillings/topping of your choice (I used black beans, black olives, tomatoes and soy cheese)

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium-to-high heat. Saute the onion until it's soft, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for about 2 minutes. Throw the onion and garlic mixture into the food processor along with the tofu, nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. I also through in a little bit of fresh jalapeno to add some spice. Blend the ingredients together.

Next, I sprayed Pam on either side of the tortilla and dipped both sides in a pan with enchilada sauce. Next time, I will try to omit the Pam to make the enchiladas healthier.

Place the tortilla in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spoon some of the tofu mixture onto the tortilla and add whatever toppings you are using.

Roll tortilla and place seam-side down. 

Repeat until all tortillas are filled.

Pour any leftover sauce onto the enchiladas.

 Add cheese on top if desired and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!