Baked jalapeño poppers
A healthy version of the classic bar snack, jalapeño poppers, made with a baked, sourdough crumb, stuffed with cream cheese and Greek yoghurt and flavoured with smoked feta, chipotle and garlic.
Servings: 6
- 20-30 fresh jalapeños depending on size
- 100 g cream cheese
- 50 g smoked feta
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 whole chipotle en adobo
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 eggs beaten with a splash of water
- 100 g whole wheat flour
- 150 g/2 large slices whole grain sourdough bread toasted or stale
Preheat the oven to 200c. Slice each chilli in half lengthways and gently scrape out the seeds, keeping the shape of the chilli intact as best you can. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes, until softened but not charred. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on) and allow to cool.
While the chillies are cooling, mix all the other ingredients, except the egg, flour and breadcrumbs until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the cavities of the hollowed out chillies.
Grind the bread to breadcrumbs with a food processor and transfer to a wide, shallow bowl. Add the flour to another bowl and the egg mixture to a third bowl. Working one at a time, roll each chilli first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs a little to adhere. Transfer to a baking sheet, cheese side up. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, until the crust is set and crispy and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned. Serve immediately.