Shrimp-Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers
with Honey Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 13 jalapeño peppers
• 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and without tail
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1 tomato
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup apple vinegar
• 7 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• Ice
  

Instructions

1. Using a small, sharp knife, cut each pepper horizontally near the stem and then vertically lengthwise to form a T. Open the pepper with care so that it won’t come apart and remove all the seeds and veins using the point of a knife or a very small spoon (even a baby spoon). Rinse each de-veined pepper to get rid of the remaining seeds.
2. In a large saucepan, boil enough water to cover all the peppers, adding 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water. Try a pepper; if you find it tastes too hot, add a teaspoon of honey and 1/4 cup of apple vinegar to the water. Place all the peppers in the saucepan, leaving them to boil for one or two minutes. Make sure they are cooked, yet firm and crunchy. You don’t want them to lose their texture. Place them in an ice water bath (approximately 2 cups) to stop the cooking process and drain.
3. For the shrimp stuffing: Cut the shrimps into small cubes. Place them in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Chop the garlic cloves, red onion, cilantro and tomato. Add one tablespoon of olive oil into a medium-sized saucepan. Place half the red onion and all the garlic into the pan and cook over a medium-low flame. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the tomato and the shrimp.
4. As soon as the shrimp become orange in color, add in the cilantro and allow to boil. Add pepper and salt to taste. Cook the shrimp for another five minutes. Remove from fire and allow them to cool. Stir in the cream cheese.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and stuff the peppers evenly with the shrimp mixture.
6. Bake the peppers for 8 - 10 minutes in order to heat and brown slightly. Remove from oven and let cool. Drizzle the honey vinaigrette over the peppers and serve.
7. For the honey vinaigrette: Put the remaining red onion into a saucepan and fry lightly with one tablespoon of olive oil until translucent. Add the remaining vinegar and the remaining honey, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Add the 1/4 cup of water and let the mixture simmer a few minutes to thicken the vinaigrette.

Yield: 12 peppers

Recipe and photo credit (used with permission): National Honey Board