Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

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I made a miscalculation while making a recipe last week that left me with an open box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix sitting on the counter. Rather than bag it up and put it away, I challenged myself do something with it.

I started looking around the kitchen and discovered a few fresh jalapeño peppers that were in need of being used and a small block of cheddar cheese in the fridge. I diced the peppers and shredded the cheese and added it to the muffin mix.

Instead of normal sized muffins, I went with the mini size, because when it comes to food you eat with your fingers I believe that smaller is better and eating 10 mini muffins seems to make me feel less like a glutton than eating 3 normal ones, even though it’s the same amount of cake.

The flavor of the jalapeño blended perfectly with the corn and the cheese helped moisten the cake and make them richer in flavor. By themselves the muffins were yummy, but even better with the delicious bean soup I ate along side them.

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Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

I was experimenting with some meatballs I had made when my Mom suggested I make corn muffins and drop a meatball in each cup before I bake them. I thought it was worth a try. I opened a box from the pantry and realized I didn’t have enough muffin mix to match the amount of meatballs. If the recipe turned out great I would have to remake it to get the right amounts.

That's when I took the meatball thing in a different direction.

This left me with the open package of muffin mix that I mention in the introduction. I’m glad it happened though because these little guys turned out awesome. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of corn muffins in general, the cheddar cheese really added a richness and moisture that transformed these little guys into a treat I really enjoyed. Now I just need to come up with a soup recipe to match these guys.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Mini Jalapeño Corn Muffins

Makes 36; 45 minutes
1 box Corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)
1 C Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 C Jalapeño, seeded, diced
1/3 C Milk
1 Egg

Create batter
In a bowl stir together corn muffin mix, cheddar cheese and jalapeno until thoroughly mixed together. Stir in milk and eggs until a batter forms. Set aside and let rest 5 minutes.

Make mini muffins
Preheat oven to 400°
Line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake wrappers. Spray a little cooking spray in each cup. Fill cups half way with batter. Place in oven and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and muffin tops have browned a little, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then serve.

Creamy Bacon Jalapeño Bites

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This is the second of my cream cheese and sour cream appetizers that I created for a group of friends. (Here is the first.) This time, jalapeño and bacon are the star ingredients and a tortilla chip with a slice of cheddar cheese is the method of delivery.

This appetizer was inspired by the jalapeño popper and features many of the same items found in the popular bar snack. This was my favorite of all the little treats I put out for the gathering. Bacon makes anything great but when combined with jalapeño and cream cheese the salty and smoky flavor really stands out.

Next time I need appetizers for a party I’m going to start with this and go from there.

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Creamy Bacon Jalapeño Bites

For the presentation of this treat I cut out a round piece of cheese that fit perfectly over the tortilla chip. Had I not been photographing this I would have just gone with a square piece of cheese.

I placed a small ramekin on a slice of cheddar and traced around it with a knife. I was able to get only one round piece out of each square slice, so I had a lot of scrapes of cheese left over when I was done. (Me and my dog snacked on them while I took the pictures.)

More and more I find myself doing things to the food for the sake of a good photograph that I wouldn't normally do. Everything is still edible though, I haven’t resorted to half-cooked pasta or near raw steaks with sear marks from curling irons yet. Although, I would consider it for the right amount of money!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Creamy Bacon Jalapeño Bites

Make 20 to 24 snacks; 1 hour
8 slices Bacon diced
1 pkg Cream cheese (8 oz)
1 C Sour cream
1/2 C Jalapeño pepper
seeded, diced
20 to 24 tortilla chips round
1 lb Cheddar Cheese cut into 20 to 24 sliced
1/4 C Chives, diced

Cook bacon
In a fry pan over medium heat cook bacon until rendered and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool.

Make spread
In a large bowl mix together cream cheese, sour cream, bacon and jalapeño until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and let flavors meld for at least 30 minutes.

Build appetizer
On a tortilla chip layer piece of cheese, spread and garnish with chives, then serve.

Pickled Jalapeños

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I’ll bet that many, if not the majority of Americans get there first taste of spicy heat with pickled jalapeños. I don’t know that for a fact, but it’s a cheap way to make things spicy and most Americans have been tempted at least once in their life to get their ballpark nachos (cheese sauce and tortilla chips) with a handful of pickled jalapeños piled on top.

They were my introduction to spicy heat and I used to put them on about everything until my late twenties. That’s when excessive amounts of hot food started become uncomfortable for me to digest. I’ve found that as long as I don’t go overboard with quantity I can handle about any kind of spicy heat without being miserable a couple hours later.

I had a plate of nachos with a few pickled jalapeños recently when I decided it was time to pickle a batch of my own for a post here.

After making the brine for these I was letting it cool. While it was sitting out I got a good whiff. A few seconds later I had a couple of hard sneezes. That’s when I got exited. I knew they would be good if a breath of the brine alone could make me sneeze. As expected, they’re a great garnish for adding some heat to a dish and they have that homemade freshness to boot.

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I was happy to document and make a pickled jalapeño recipe of my own. Near the end of the summer when gardens are being harvested I’ll use this for my print column. Starting in late July, there is an abundance of fresh stuff from home gardens around. Everyone has tomatoes and cucumbers and many also have jalapeños.

This will be perfect for the paper when peppers start to get ripe.

This is the second time I have made pickled hot peppers. Years ago I made a gourmet recipe from Bobby Flay. When I was finished I had what seemed like a 30 gallon drum full of pickled serranos and jalapeños. Had I kept the jar I would still be eating them today.

Here's the irony. I made the entire batch for about two tablespoons worth of a garnish on a pork chop. I had no idea how much I was making until I was to far in to reduce the amount.

When it was all said and done I spent 8 bucks on the pork chops and $25 on the pickled pepper garnish.

You live and you learn.

Eat Well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 1 quart
2 C Cider vinegar
2 C Water
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Salt
3 Tbs Peppercorns
3 cloves Garlic
1 Bay leaf
1 lb Jalapeños sliced
1/4 C Baby carrots

Make brine; pickled peppers
In a sauce pan bring vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, garlic and by leaf to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Place jalapeños and carrots in a bowl, pour in hot brine. Let mixture cool to room temperature, approximately 2 hours, then transfer to a resealable jar and refrigerate for one week before serving.

Crispy Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

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I try to avoid fast food if I can, but I think it’s impossible to do completely in our fast-paced world filled with corporate restaurant chains. When I find myself standing at the counter looking at the menu, I always seem to gravitate to the “limited time offer” items, which can be a bit of a gamble. The most famous of these is probably the legendary McRib from McDonald's featuring a pork patty molded to look like a rack of ribs. That’s scary to me. I think I’d rather eat lunch meat from a 99¢ store.

That said, I have to admit, I was impressed by a new temporary treat at Arby‘s called the Smokin’ Chipotle Chicken Sandwich with breaded chicken, pepper bacon, chipotle barbecue sauce and pickled jalapeños. It was the kind of sandwich that I would make on a Saturday afternoon, and for this recipe, that is exactly what I did – create my own version of the new Arby‘s sandwich. I breaded the chicken myself, but it can be made much quicker with store-bought breaded chicken from the freezer aisle.

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I have been waiting for a long time to do a recipe like this. I just had to find the right inspiration. Like I said, I try to avoid fast-food, but it's nearly impossible. It's just to easy and convenient to avoid entirely. (unless you live in New York City, more on this in a future post) I was running around recently, taking care of business when I stopped to grab a quick bite to eat at Arby's. The Smokin' Chipotle Chicken Sandwich presented me with the opportunity I had been waiting for – A limited time offer from a fast food restaurant that I could create my own version of for the column. 

Fast food is part of American culture and for all the bad things they offer our diet, they do have some creative people trying to produce meals and items designed to make us want to try. If you haven't found yourself at one time or another salivating over a commercial for the latest concoction offered at the local chain restaurant, then frankly you don't like food or lost your sense of taste and smell.

The Smokin' Chipotle Sandwich has all the elements of my style of cooking. The chicken is breaded for texture, it contains a special sauce and the pickled jalapeños provide some kick. Most chain restaurants advertise "spicy" or "hot" and it's usually weak to me, but the sandwich actually has some punch. I love the combination of chipotle with bacon, the smoky tastes really compliment each other and I use this combination all the time. Needless to say, I was impressed. 

Arby's creation inspired this recipe, it's not the exact recipe found in stores. The sandwich I create is superior in taste and is better for you health-wise. After all, it is prepared by an experienced cook with knowledge of a few cooking techniques and armed with fresh ingredients. At Arby's, it will be made by an 18-year-old who heats meat in a special oven then tops it with stuff from a caulking gun. They are prepared to serve a million of these. I made four.

I can't wait to find another item like this. I'm not going to comb the fast food landscape for one though. I would rather be inspired by the seasons and the daily needs of real cooking, but when I am in immediate need of food and stop at a corporate-chain restaurant that is impossible to avoid – I will give credit where credit is do – and gladly create my own version.

Eat well, cook often ...