13
votes
Any good somewhat healthy recipes with jalapenos?
I really like pickled jalapenos, but my go to recipes are nachos and jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon. I'm trying to eat healthier, but I seem to be lacking some good recipes or ideas. I found a potato salad recipe which sounds really tasty, but still not terribly healthy.
Jalapenos, onion, and garlic are one of those famous combinations that are the base of a lot of recipes. For instance, you can add tomato sauce and saute some chicken, and you've got yourself a meal.
Also, don't sleep on pinto beans: https://www.theovenlight.net/2019/06/garlic-jalapeno-pinto-beans/
Mmm. Should make some of those.
I just put pickled jalapeños on everything. The healthiest thing I can think of is to dice them and throw them into your scrambled eggs, sour cabbage salad, or salsa (diced jalapeños, tomatoes, onions (not red), lime juice, and a pinch of salt).
I've tried "Texas Tabbouleh", which is fairly healthy, fresh, and fiber-rich. I think pickled jalapenos in addition to the fresh ones specified would be great for a little extra acidity and salt.
It's sweet corn season, so I've excavated this corn salad recipe with pickled jalapenos.
And you can always use pickled jalapenos in cornbread, though that's not exactly healthy.
For snacking, make salsa by adding tomatoes, lime, onion, cilantro. Cutting the cheese out will take nachos from very unhealthy to maybe a little healthy. Cut tomato for avocado for guac instead.
Tortilla chips on their own aren't too bad other than salt (depending on your brand).
Pickled jalapenos are a bit harder than fresh as they come with the strong vinegar flavor. That flavor can be used to the jalapeno's advantage in recipes like a salad, where the vinegary flavors can shine as part of the overall dressing. That's probably going to be where the most of your "healthy" recipes are going to lie: salads. However, you can toss some pickled jalapenos into basically anything that you might want some vinegary spicy zing. Get wild!
I like jalapenos (pickled and fresh) on pizza, so I use a no-yeast dough like this one and just top with whatever sauce/veggies are on hand.
Not exactly a new application, but jalapenos on nachos-adjacent is using diced potatoes instead of the chips for the base. Just chop 'em up, toss with evoo and SW-inspired seasonings or steak seasonings, and bake until (mostly) cooked. Then continue with your regular nacho procedure. Takes out a bunch of fried and processed.
I really like jalapeños in an omelette for breakfast. I sauté mushrooms, jalapeños, and spinach in a pan. I like to add the jalapeños closer to the end as I just want to soften them a little bit, but not cook them down as much as the mushrooms. Spinach gets cooked just until it wilts.
It’s one of the things I love about omelettes is that you can just kinda put as much of whatever you like.
Otherwise I like an over easy egg on a piece of toast with a bit of mango salsa on top. Can add jalapeños and or habaneros to the salsa, again to taste.
I know it is a bit simple, but I just toss them on regular meals to improve them.
Salads, sandwiches, spaghetti, a lean roast or crock pot stew.
Turns bland into tasty fun.
Pico de Gallo is an excellent type of salsa (but more of a salad imo) that goes great with most tex mex dishes. Put some jalapeños in there instead of serranos and you'll be golden.