Divas on a Dime: Little Poppers
By Patti Diamond
Sweet Pepper Poppers: The Adorable and Delicious Bite-sized Delights.
Have you seen the bags of those cute little mini red, yellow and orange sweet peppers in the produce section? They are adorable! Perhaps choosing produce according to level of cuteness isn't the best way, but in this case, it totally works!
These peppers are so versatile and so sweet, you can eat them right out of the bag. They're delicious grilled; just rub them with oil and pop them on the grill. Word to the wise -grill the whole bag, because they're scrumptious hot or cold and make a simple side dish, or a lovely addition to salads, or anytime snack.
Bell peppers are highly nutritious, packed with essential vitamins like vitamins C, K1, E and A and potassium, making them a healthy addition to any diet.
Little poppers deliver big flavor. PHOTO CREDIT: www.JasonCoblentz.com
The recipe below is light and summery tasting, even though it's creamy and cheesy. The flavor is fresh and herbaceous with the mild green chilis and cilantro. If you're not a cilantro fan, substitute it with your favorite herb. I used cotija cheese because the mild, salty flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet peppers. Cotija cheese is typically found in the refrigerated cheese section of the grocery store, often alongside other Mexican or Hispanic cheeses. If you can't find any, you could substitute feta cheese.
EASY CHEESY SWEET PEPPER POPPERS
This recipe can be made under the broiler if you prefer not to barbecue.
1 1/2 pounds mini sweet peppers, about 20 peppers
8 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese, at room temperature
10 ounces cotija or feta cheese
1 (4 ounce) can mild green chili peppers
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.
Oil the grates or prepare a grill pan. I recommend using a grill pan, because you don't have to transfer the stuffed peppers on and off the grill or worry about them falling though the grates and all the cheese oozing into the fire.
Prepare the peppers. Set each pepper on a flat surface and see how it wants to sit without tipping over. Then use a small knife to cut a slit in the top side of the pepper. Use a small spoon or your fingertips to remove any seeds. Set them aside while you make the filling.
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the cream cheese with the cotija cheese until fluffy and well combined. Dump the can of chili peppers into the cheese, juice and all. Add the cilantro and green onion, then mix it all together. To get the mixture into the peppers, use either a small spoon or a piping bag fitted with a large tip. You can also cut the corner off a zip-top bag and use it as a piping bag. Don't worry about it being perfect. It's going to be messy no matter how hard you try. So, in peppers as in life, embrace the mess!
Place peppers cut side up on the grill for 4 to 6 minutes until they have softened and have nice grill marks. As the peppers blister, the cheese mixture inside turns warm and gooey. Divine!
Remove from grill and serve with typical Diva flourish.
The easy cheesy sweet pepper poppers are wonderful served as an appetizer or a side dish. Here are a few suggestions for dishes to serve alongside the poppers: Serve with a fresh green salad, use to accompany grilled meat or seafood, serve with salsa and guacamole, or add them to a charcuterie board or crudite platter. See you next week!
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Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime -Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com
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