Roasted Corn & Poblano Crab Dip.

There are sooo many fabulous hot dip recipes out there.  “There” being the fruitful internet.

Every other month I make a new appetizer to delight the appetite :)

I’ve worked hard not to repeat appetizers.  Which translates into combing Pinterest and the like for fabulous new recipes.  Which is precisely what my Healthy Choices buddy and I did last Saturday morning.

Bethany and I began a journey on January 1st, 2015.  We would walk (or run as it turns out) a combined two thousand fifteen miles in 2015.

This equated to 5.5 miles per day between us or 2.75 each.  No problem.  Until sinus infections, weather, and life kicked in.

It wasn’t as easy as we thought, yet we never questioned whether or not it WOULD happen.  Rain or shine, day by day, we made it happen.

Flash forward to August 22nd.  Beth and I agreed to meet bright and early at the ‘Greenway’ and knock out the remaining 13 miles (6.5 each) needed to reach 2015.

Way ahead of schedule.  Side note:  I have an urge to do a ‘Greenway’ post.  Just for the pictures. For any of you who enjoy being outdoors, walking, strolling, skipping, jogging, running, wogging. biking, dog walking, nature viewing…you would LOVE this place!!!  (I’m trying to emphasize the beauty of this outdoor space).

We pulled into the parking lot just as the rains came. What?!! 0% chance according to our not so trustworthy weather app.

So we sat in the car, waiting it out, surfing our smart phones for fabulous dip recipes.  Roasted Corn & Crab Dip sounded like a winner.  With that said the pop-up rain storm passed and we headed out to reach our goal.

One mile in and once again the skies opened up.  So we ran in the rain and laughed.  It felt good.  The cool rain AND knowing that we were on our way to achieving a major goal.

Yay Us!! I’m quite proud of this accomplishment. We achieved our #2015in2015 Team Goal and now we’re continuing on with Solo ‘Healthy Choices’ Goals.  I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

If you’re still reading along, thank you!!  As of this week’s WW weigh-in, I’m down 60.8 pounds and happily finding balance across my love to eat, love to cook, love food photography, need to be healthy life.

About that Roasted Corn & Poblano Crab Dip.  It was delicious.  You’ll want it to be nice and hot and bubbly, where you can rake crackers or crusty bread through it and get really, really happy.

Update 12/31/15.  As of today I’m officially down 70.4 pounds.  And have met my solo goal of walk/running 2,015 miles in 2015.  Now on to 2016.  I think I’m going to change it up a bit.  I’ll keep you posted.

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Roasted Corn & Poblano Crab Dip

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lump crabmeat
• 1 poblano pepper
• 2 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• crackers or crusty bread to serve

Instructions

• Flame roast poblano pepper and corn over gas burner or under broiler. Poblano should be completely charred then placed in a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam.
• Rinse charred skin off pepper, discard stem and seeds, fine dice. Cut corn kernels off cob.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine pepper and corn with remaining ingredients; mix well. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour dip mixture into prepared dish. Baked for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
• Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

The post Roasted Corn & Poblano Crab Dip appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I lay in bed Sunday morning pretending to be asleep.  There was a steady rain tapping on the window, the kind that lulls you to sleep.  It was not my morning to get up with the dogs (yet if I were already awake when the first bark came would it seem only reasonable that I take them out, even though I did the day before).  These are my words, we’re not really score keepers.

I justified my silent stillness by creating recipes in my mind.  Savory Egg Stuffed Poblano Peppers nestled on a bed of enchilada sauced white beans.  I did not take the dogs out.

This dish was everything I hoped it would be.  It is savory and comfortable.  A little smoky yet fresh with avocado, fine diced red onion and cilantro.  And then there are baked eggs with yolks so creamy.  We enjoyed it for brunch.  Savory Egg Stuffed Poblano Peppers would make an equally wonderful protein packed vegetarian meal.

The ‘bed’ for this recipe is simple.  White beans, such as Great Northern or Cannellini, combined with mild diced green chiles and a cup of Homemade Enchilada Sauce.

For the flame roasted poblano stuffing I sautéed corn, white onion, red onion, and jalapeno until tender, then stirred in cilantro, cream cheese and pepperjack cheese.

Recipe Note:  To remove the tough skin from the poblano peppers follow these easy steps:

1. Lay the peppers across your gas-stove burners, gas grill or under the broiler set on high.
2. Turn them with metal tongs until all sides are nice and black as shown in the picture above.
3. Put them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until they are cool enough to handle.
4. Run them under water and gently loosen the blackened skin.  Most of it will just wash away.
5. Cut a T slit the length of the peppers to remove the seeds.
   

Stuff, and I mean generously ‘stuff’ your peppers full of the onion/corn/cheese mixture.  Then make a well in the center of each and add an egg.  Got a little extra shredded cheese (of course you do), sprinkle it over the entire dish.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until egg whites are set.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding sliced avocado, fine diced red onion and cilantro to finish.

This is a dream recipe, albeit a day-dream recipe.  I think taking the dogs out on any morning I served Savory Egg Stuffed Poblano Peppers would be considered a fair trade.

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Savory Egg Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the stuffed peppers…

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup white onion diced
• 1/4 cup red onion fine diced
• 1 jalapeno fine diced
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 ounces pepperjack cheese shredded
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

For enchiladas sauced white beans…

• 1 can white beans such as Great Northern or Cannellini, rinsed & drained
• 1 can diced mild green chiles
• 1 cup Homemade Enchilada Sauce

To serve…

• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 Tbl. red onion fine diced
• 2 Tbl. cilantro leaves

Instructions

For enchilada sauced white beans…

• Prepare enchilada sauce. Combine with white beans and mild green chiles. Pour into a baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the stuffed peppers…

• Flame roast poblano peppers (see Recipe Note in Post).
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté corn, onion and jalapeno until tender. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, cream cheese and shredded cheese until well combined. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Allow to cool slightly.
• Remove seeds from peppers. Stuff generously with corn/onion/cheese mixture. Nestle into baking dish. Make a well in the center of each pepper. Add egg. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
• Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until egg whites are set. Allow to rest 10 minutes. Serve with sliced avocado, fine diced red onion and fresh cilantro leaves.

The post Savory Egg Stuffed Poblano Peppers appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

There are about a bazillion corn tortillas in a package. 

Have you noticed that? 

No matter what recipe I make with them, inevitably I will have half a bazillion leftover.  That’s what led me to this classic Mexican dish.  Chilaquiles are traditionally made from corn tortillas that may have been hanging around for a bit…aka stale.

Cut the corn tortillas into triangles.  Then working in batches, give them a quick swim in hot oil until they are golden brown on each side.  Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a skillet.  Add the Salsa Verde and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Gently add the crispy tortilla triangles and turn to coat with salsa.  Sprinkle with the shredded chicken and heat through.

Chicken Chilaquiles {with Fried Eggs} is often served as a breakfast dish. 

We topped ours with shredded cheese, scallions, fresh cilantro, diced red onion, sliced avocado and fried eggs.  Since we are huge Breakfast for Dinner fans, we had no problem turning this into a weeknight meal.

My first introduction to Chilaquiles came from Cooking Light.  Upon further recipe research I favored a version closer to this recipe from Simply Recipes.  Most importantly this is a wonderful no-fuss recipe that uses up some of those extra corn tortillas and leftover chicken, shredded cheese….

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Chicken Chilaquiles {with Fried Eggs}

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 corn tortillas cut into triangles
• canola oil for pan frying
• 2 cups salsa verde see recipe link in post
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 Tbl. finely diced red onion
• a handful of fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 avocado sliced
• 3 Tbl. sour cream
• 2 eggs

Instructions

• Cut corn tortillas into triangles (I got 6 per tortilla). Heat 1/2-inch of canola oil in pan over medium high heat. Fry tortilla pieces until golden brown on each side. Remove to paper towel lined baking sheet.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to skillet over medium-low heat. Add salsa verde and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gently add in crispy tortilla triangles and turn to coat. Simmer for another couple minutes. Sprinkle with shredded chicken and heat through. Meanwhile, fry eggs.
• To serve, top chilaquiles with shredded cheese, scallion, red onion, cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream drizzle and fried eggs.

The post Chicken Chilaquiles {with Fried Eggs} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I vowed to stay out of Publix for a week following the holidays.  I called home as I entered the store to admit to my failures.  The words on the other end were few.  “Damn it Lib ;)  Pick up a pork butt and I’ll forgive you.”

We threw this 3 1/2 lb. bad boy (aka Boston Butt Pork Roast) in the crockpot with a jar of diced jalapeños.  Set it on high and walked away for 5 hours.  Oh my, oh wow.  I know you all love our Pepperoncini Pot Roast, you MUST give this one a try!!  Couldn’t be any easier.

In just about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low, you will have the most tender mouthwatering roast that you can turn into…..dinner (we had it with coleslaw).  Or, if you’re feeling a little playful how about trying one of these ideas.

Pulled Pork Sliders, Carnitas,

Pozole Rojo, Brunswick Stew, chili,

Mexican Breakfast with Pulled Pork & Eggs, empanadas, eggrolls,

Asian Pork with Garlic Sauced Noodles, or

Jalapeño Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos.  That wonderful crockpot of love was dinner last night and it’s about to be Football Food Tonight!

Load ’em up!

The post Jalapeño Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We found the nicest bag of jalapeños at our wholesale club on Saturday and decided to try our hand at making Jalapeño Poppers.  As we worked our way through the store we talked about how me might change them up.  We could stuff them with sausage, kind of like Stuffed Poblano Peppers.  I threw out a bacon wrap, but somehow doubling up on the pork….seemed wrong.

As we turned the corner we found ourselves staring at a giant display of Doritos.  Not something that finds it’s way into our buggy ever often.  But there they were.  What if we coated our poppers in Cool Ranch Doritos.  We must have been hungry.  It sounded brilliant.

From conception I envisioned baking these.  I stuffed them with a spicy browned sausage, scallion, and cheese mixture then did a flour, egg, Dorito encrustation.  As I got ready to put them in the oven a voice in my head said….you’re not going to fry them (with a mischievous tone)?  I pulled two off the baking sheet so we could have a comparison.

It seems the delicate Cool Ranch Dorito coating ;) was no match for a hot sizzling swim in oil.  Most of it ended up in the bottom of the pan.  We’ll share this creation as a Baked Cool Ranch Jalapeño Popper recipe, inspired by Emeril Lagasse. I’d like to say the Cool Ranch Doritos were the star, and while they added a nice crunch….they offered little ‘cooling’ effect to these spicy poppers.  I recommend an icy cold beer for that. What a fun twist on a great appetizer.

Recipe note:  Instead of cutting the jalapeño in half and seeding them, I cut 3 fourths the way around the stem, then make a cut down the full length of the pepper.  I then remove the membrane and seeds before filling.  ** Wearing gloves is recommended for this step.

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Cool Ranch Jalapeno Poppers

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 12 Jalapeños seeds removed
• 6 oz. ground sausage browned & drained
• 4 oz. cream cheese softened
• 4 oz. pepper jack cheese shredded
• 1 scallion thin sliced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 bag Cool Ranch Doritos

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl combine browned sausage, cheeses, scallion, and spices. Mix until well blended. Fill each of the prepared jalapeños with 2-3 Tbl. of the sausage cheese mixture.
• Set up three small bowls. One for flour with chili powder. One for beaten egg. One for Doritos (begin with 2 cups crushed). Dip each of the filled jalapeños in flour, then egg, then dredge in Doritos; pressing to coat.
• Place coated poppers on prepared baking sheet, cut side up.
• Bake for 30 minutes until filling is bubbly and coating is golden brown.

The post Cool Ranch Jalapeño Poppers {just for fun} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

A picture is worth a thousand words….or at least the twenty or so it would take to describe each step of this dish.  I’m going to stick to the bare minimum and encourage you to finish the story with your own words (ingredients).

Brown 1/2 lb. ground sausage or ground beef and set aside.  Or sub black beans for a vegetarian version.  Add about two cups diced veggies to same pan and sauté until tender.

Add seasoning, we used cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper.

Also added scallions & cilantro.

Steam, then roast two ears of corn.  Cut off cob. (just 10 words for this one)

Add corn and browned sausage back to the veggie pan.  Then add 4 oz. cream cheese and 4 oz. shredded pepper-jack cheese.

Stir to combine all stuffing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roast poblanos under broiler for about 10 minutes on one side, until skin has bubbled and begins to blacken.  Turn over and roast for another 8 – 10 minutes. Or flame roast over gas stove until charred on all sides.

Remove from oven and place in covered bowl for 10 minutes.  Skins will soften so you can peel them away gently.

Cut slits the length of the face of each poblano.  Gently remove seeds, then fill with stuffing.  Top with shredded pepper-jack cheese and bake for 20 minutes or so.

A picture is worth every moment it captures! These Stuffed Poblano Peppers are 1000 times better than I can describe.  Comfortable food…

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Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 Poblano Peppers
• 1/2 lb. ground sausage or sub 1 can black beans for a vegetarian version
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 jalapeno fine dice
• 2 ears corn roasted and kernels removed from cob
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves rough chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 6 oz. shredded pepper-jack divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Roast poblanos for about 10 minutes on one side, until skin has bubbled and begins to blacken. Turn over and roast for another 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in covered bowl for 5d minutes. Skins will soften so you can peel them away gently.
• Brown ground sausage and set aside. Steam, then fire roast corn. Cut off cob and reserve.
• Add diced veggies to same pan and saute until tender. Add spices, scallions & cilantro.
• Add corn and browned sausage back to the veggie pan. Then add cream cheese and shredded pepper-jack cheese. Stir to combine all stuffing ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
• Cut slits the length of the face of each poblano. Gently remove seeds. Fill with stuffing. Top with shredded pepper-jack cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.

The post Stuffed Poblano Peppers appeared first on Lemony Thyme.