Mexican So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat - Softcover

Rohde, Betty

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0684835258 ISBN 13: 9780684835259

Publisher: Fireside, 1998

Synopsis

A collection of more than two hundred low-fat, easy-to-prepare versions of favorite Mexican dishes includes Quesadilla Fingers, Chimayo Chicken Soup, Pork Loin Ablaze, and Ta-Molly Pie, along with cooking tips and personal stories from the author. Original. 100,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Betty Rohde, bestselling author of So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat; More So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat; and Italian So Fat, Low Fat, No Fat, lost 86 pounds and lowered her cholesterol level using the recipes in her books. She has kept the weight off. Betty and her husband live in Gore, Oklahoma.

Reviews

Reducing fat in the most popular dishes from south of the border requires some ingenuity. Fried tortilla chips and avocados both serve up plenty of vegetable oils. Ubiquitous cheeses and meats contribute saturated fats. Fortunately for the dieter, peppers, cilantro, and most salsas have little or no fat. Rohde takes advantage of these naturally low-fat ingredients and substitutes fat-free cheese, chicken, and very lean red meats to create low-fat versions of such popular Mexican American favorites as enchiladas and chili. Cooking spray plays a large role in Rohde's cuisine, permitting the cook to simulate fried foods by spraying tortillas before baking them. Those addicted to Mexican food's spiciness but who require substantial fat reduction will appreciate Rohde's guidance, but others will find her substitutions a lot of work for little satisfaction. Mark Knoblauch

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Dips, Appetizers, and Snacks

FIESTA DIP

0 grams fat
Serves 8
Preparation :18
Cook :00
Stand 1:00
Total 1:18

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
1 teaspoon green salsa (commercially prepared)
1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
1 (4-ounce) can water chestnuts, chopped fine (may use pine nuts
or pumpkin seeds, toasted, but will add fat grams)
1 green onion, chopped fine
1 (11-ounce) package Fiesta Ranch party dip mix
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and puréed in blender or
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried black beans

Combine in a medium-size bowl the pickle, salsa, sour cream, water chestnuts, green onion, and dip mix. Stir in the puréed beans. Mix with a wire whip until well blended and smooth. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

RED-HOT FIVE-MINUTE DIP

0 grams fat
Makes 2 cups
Preparation :05
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :05

You may use your imagination on added ingredients. As noted earlier "Some like it hot, some not." With that thought in mind, you could divide the recipe and make one half hot, the other mild.

1 (8-ounce) brick fat-free cream cheese
1 (8-ounce) jar picante sauce (see Note)
Jalapeño pepper rings, chopped fine, for garnish Baked tortilla chips for dipping

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature. In a medium bowl, carefully stir the cream cheese with a wire whisk. If you beat the cream cheese too hard, it will break down and become too thin. Continue gently creaming as you add the entire jar of picante sauce. Stir with a spoon just until well blended. You may garnish the top with chopped jalapeño peppers, and serve with nice low-fat or no-fat baked tortilla chips.

Note: For the picante sauce, use mild or medium or hot salsa. You could even use green salsa.

CHEESY RED-HOT DIP

0 grams fat
Makes about
2 1/2 to 3 cups
Preparation :06
Cook :05
Stand :00
Total :11

Serve this in that fondue pot we all had to have twenty years ago that is now collecting dust. Keep on low heat and your dip will stay warm throughout the evening Stir occasionally.

1 (1 6-ounce) brick processed fat-free cheese, such as Healthy Choice (comes in 1- or 2-pound packages in a long green box -- looks like Velveeta)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained and juice reserved
Baked tortilla chips or veggies for dipping

Cut the cheese into 1-inch cubes (or smaller cubes for quicker melting). In a microwave-safe dish, combine the milk and cheese. Pour half the Ro-Tel over and stir until mixed. Cover with plastic wrap (leaving a comer opened for venting) and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch for it to start melting. Stop, stir, and return to the microwave to continue melting. Repeat this process until the cheese is melted and the Ro-Tel is well blended. The milk is to give it a little thinner and smoother texture. If the dip is thicker than you like it, add a little more milk or juice from the Ro-Tel.

Taste the dip. If you want it hotter, now is the time to add more of the Ro-Tel. I usually just add the entire can, juice and all, but you may choose to be a little more cautious.

Serve with baked tortilla chips, and/or a tray of fresh vegetables to dip.

TAMALE DIP

1.75 grams fat per serving
Serves 8
Preparation :15
Cook :25
Stand 1:00
Total 1:40

1 (15-ounce) can chicken tamales
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced celery
1 (1 1/4-Ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 medium-size fresh tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese for garnish

Empty the can of tamales into a colander and very gently rinse off all the sauce. Try not to crush them. You are going to chop these tamales but not smash them. Transfer to a shallow dish and chop the tamales into small pieces. Set aside.

Place the onion, garlic, tomatoes and green chilies, tomato sauce, and celery in a large nonstick saucepan. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring several times.

Add the taco seasoning mix and the tamales, stirring until heated. Place in a serving dish. Stir in the chopped fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle a little of the shredded cheese on top of the dip.

Serve with a basket of low-fat baked tortilla chips and a small bowl of shredded cheese alongside.

GUACAMOLE

4 grams fat (1 saturated)
Serves 8
Preparation :25
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :25

1 (20-ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed and drained
3 tablespoons lime juice (fresh squeezed is better but bottled will do
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons chopped green chilies (canned)
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into small chunks
2 medium tomatoes, diced fine
1/4 cup picante sauce or salsa
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Process the peas in a blender, adding the lime juice, cilantro, onion, and chilies and blending until smooth. In a bowl, mash the avocado, leaving it a little coarse for a nice texture.

Transfer the blended pea mixture to the bowl with the avocado; stir to blend. Add the diced tomatoes, picante sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a little spicier taste you may add a drop of hot sauce, but add only one drop at a time, then stir and taste. You can ruin your dish in a New York minute by using too much hot sauce.

Serve as a dip with baked tortilla chips.

LAZY DAZE GUACAMOLE

2 grams fat per serving
Serves 4
Preparation :10
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :10

2 large ripe avocados
1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped onion

Peel and pit the avocados. Put the avocado in a serving bowl and mash with a spoon, leaving it somewhat lumpy. This gives some texture to the dish.

Add the salsa, lime juice, and chopped onion.

Stir to mix well. Place the avocado seed in the middle of the guacamole until serving time to keep the dip from turning dark. Remove at time of serving.

PARTY POTATO SKINS

.06 grams fat per serving
Serves 12
Preparation :15
Cook 1:15
Stand :00
Total 1:30

Prepare the potatoes a day ahead and refrigerate them until needed -- or they may be prepared on the day you need them.

6 medium-size baking potatoes
Garlic powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, such as Chimayo or cayenne
Ground black pepper to taste if desired

Scrub the potatoes well, pierce with a sharp fork so steam can escape, and bake in a 425 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. (Do not cover them with foil.)

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in two lengthwise, making a boat effect, and scoop out the centers, leaving about 1/4 inch intact with the skin. Put the scooped-out potato aside to use for another day, another recipe.

Lightly coat the potato shells inside and out with butterflavored cooking spray. Sprinkle a little garlic powder and pepper over the inside of the shells. Place them skin side down on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the skins over and continue to bake, open side up, for another 15 minutes or until lightly browned and beginning to crisp. If you like them crispier, bake a little longer on both sides.

Serve with your favorite dip, salsa, or a seasoning of your choice.

TORTILLA CHIPS

0 grams fat
Serves 4
Preparation :06
Cook :10
Stand :00
Total :16

If you are looking to make something healthy for snacks, try sprinkling these chips with sugar and cocoa powder, or cinnamon, For a spicy snack, use Mexican seasoning, red pepper (lightly), or garlic and cheese sprinkles. Let your imagination help you.

6 fat-free flour tortillas, or corn tortillas (I gram fat each)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stack your tortillas one on top of the other; cut into 6 wedges. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Spray the tops slightly, just a tiny bit to brown nicely. You may do this without any spray if desired. After spraying, if you care to have different flavors such as spicy, sweet, etc., you may add those spices at this time and the spray helps the spice to stick evenly.

Bake for about 5 minutes; turn the chips over and bake an additional 5 minutes. Watch them closely; don't let them burn.

NACHOS (TORTILLA CHIPS WITH CHEESE AND CHILIES)

0 grams to very low-fat
Serves 2
Preparation :10
Cook :05
Stand :00
Total :15

1 recipe tortilla chips (page 33) or about 3 dozen low-fat commercial chips
2 cups shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese or grated fat-free processed block-type cheese such as Healthy Choice (comes in 1- or 2-pound packages in a long green box -- looks like Velveeta)
Jalapeño chile slices (canned or bottled)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange the tortilla chips on a heatproof platter or shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and top with slices of jalapeño. (Use the desired amount of chilies.)

Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes (or you may microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes). Serve immediately. These are also good with salsa or fat-free sour cream on the side.

NACHOS OLÉ

Less than 1 gram fat per serving
Serves 12
Preparation :20
Cook :05
Stand :00
Total :25

24 low-fat baked tortilla chips (pick unbroken ones)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can fat-free jalapeño-flavored refried beans
1/4 cup thick and chunky salsa
1/4 cup fat-free shredded cheese (your choice)
Ripe olive slices to garnish (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions to garnish (optional)

Preheat the broiler.

Lay out the chips in a single layer on an ungreased cooking sheet. Warm the beans just enough to make them more spreadable. Spread a spoonful on each chip. Top each with 1/2 teaspoon of salsa, then with 1/2 teaspoon of cheese.

You may garnish with sliced olives -- be careful to read the label; they are full of fat grams -- or sliced onion pieces. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat source for about 2 minutes, until the cheese melts.

You may choose to top each with a small dollop of fatfree sour cream.

VEGETABLE: TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

0 grams fat
Serves 10
Preparation :25
Cook :00
Stand 2:00
Total 2:25

Great appetizers for entertaining

1 (8-ounce) package fat-free brick cream cheese, softened
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (check for 0 fat)
2 green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper or drained pimiento
1 tablespoon chopped green chilies, drained
Tabasco to taste
6 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

In a mixing bowl, gently stir the cream cheese with a wire whisk until it starts to become creamy (not too much or it will break down and be too thin). Add the soup mix, onions, bell pepper, and chopped chilies, and start to add Tabasco, one drop at a time. Taste to make sure you are not getting it too hot for your guests.

Place the tortillas on a fiat work space and spread the cheese mixture evenly over them all the way to the edge. Roll up like a jelly roll. Place seam side down in large shallow dish. Refrigerate the rolls for at least 2 hours before slicing; this lets the onion soup and the other ingredients marry well before serving.

Remove from the refrigerator; cut into slices about 1 inch thick. Continue to store in the refrigerator until serving time, covered with plastic wrap.

CHEESE QUESADILLA

0 grams fat
Serves 1
Preparation :05
Cook :05
Stand :00
Total :10

During my research for this book, I discovered that quesadillas (kehsah. DEE yahs) were traditionally a finger food, eaten as a snack held in the hand as you walked about the Mexican markets doing your shopping.

1 (6-inch) flour tortilla
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack, Muenster, Mexican, or a mixture)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortilla flat on a baking sheet; cover half the surface with shredded cheese. Heat until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and fold in half immediately.

The quesadilla may also be made in a nonstick skillet. Place the tortilla fiat, top with cheese as above, and heat until the cheese is starting to melt. Fold and continue to heat until the tortilla is lightly brown and the cheese is melted, turning once to ensure even melting. Serve with salsa or fat-free sour cream.

Warming tortillas: Fat-free flour tortillas and low-fat corn tortillas are available at the time of writing.

By the time this book is out, fat-free corn tortillas will probably be available. When grilling, lay the tortillas next to each other right on the grill and warm just until hot. Overheating will cause them to be tough. Another suggestion is wrapping a stack of tortillas in foil and placing the package on the top rack of the grill just until hot.

TOMATO-ONION QUESADILLAS

0 grams fat
Serves 4
Preparation :10
Cook :02
Stand :00
Total :12

4 fat-free flour tortillas
1/4 cup grated fat-free Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 jalapeño pepper rings, chopped fine
1 medium tomato, chopped fine

Preheat a nonstick skillet or griddle or E1 Sador until very hot. Moisten your tortillas very slightly. If you have a mist bottle, mist lightly, or dip your hand in water and rub over the tortilla. Place a tortilla on the hot griddle and heat for just about 5 seconds. Remove the tortilla and layer one half with cheese, onion, pepper, and tomato (divide each of these ingredients into fourths, using a fourth on each tortilla -- and use rubber gloves with the pepper).

Lower the heat slightly, then return the filled tortilla to heat about 15 more seconds. Fold, using tongs, a knife, or a spatula, while it is on the griddle; pat the quesadilla closed. Turn the quesadilla over, and heat the other side for approximately 15 seconds or until the cheese begins to melt. Repeat this with each quesadilla. Keep them warm with foil or a cloth until serving time. Reheat on the griddle if necessary.

Serve as part of meal or cut into thirds or fourths and use as appetizers.

Variation: Use corn tortillas instead of flour. You will add a fat gram for each tortilla, unless fat-free ones are available by the time this book comes out.

CHILE-CHEESE QUESADILLAS

2 grams fat each
Serves 1
Preparation :05
Cook :04
Stand :00
Total :09

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 teaspoons fat-free ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon diced mild green chilies
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Spread the ricotta cheese over the entire surface of one tortilla. Sprinkle with the Monterey Jack cheese and diced chilies. Top with the second tortilla. Spray a nonstick skillet or griddle with vegetable oil cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook the quesadilla about 2 minutes on one side or until golden brown; turn and cook about 2 minutes on the other side or until golden brown. Remove to a serving dish, cut into 4 wedges, and enjoy.

To make additional quesadillas, multiply the recipe times the number of quesadillas desired.

QUICK FRESH TOMATO SALAD

0 grams fat
Serves 4
Preparation :15
Cook :00
Stand :10
Total :25

This is a quick and tasty salad, or t could be used as a salsa with chips.

4 medium-size ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh sweet banana peppers (about 3 peppers)
1/2 cup chopped onion
Tabasco jalapeño sauce (green) to taste
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Peel and chop the tomato, moving the chopped pieces aside before putting them in a bowl, to eliminate some of the juice. Discard the seeds and juice, as much as possible. You should have about 2 cups of chopped tomato.

Combine the chopped peppers, onion, Tabasco to taste (add one drop at a time), and lemon pepper in a small bowl. Toss gently to blend the seasonings well. Let stand about 10 minutes. Combine with the tomatoes.

TOMATO SALAD

7 grams fat entire dish
Serves 4-6
Preparation :10
Cook :00
Stand :15
Total :25

4 cups cubed fresh tomatoes (about 8 medium tomatoes)

DRESSING:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt (optional)
Dash of ground black pepper

Drain the tomatoes. Mix the dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl, add the tomatoes, and toss gently to coat evenly. Let stand about 15 minutes to let the seasonings blend. Serve on a leaf of lettuce if desired.

ROASTED (ANAHEIM) GREEN CHILE PEPPERS

0 grams fat
Preparation :10
Cook :06
Stand :05
Total :21

This roasting method can be used for any fresh pepper, including red and green bell peppers. Anaheim chilies are also called California or long green chilies. They are used in stews, sauces, soups -- almost any dish is enhanced with the right amount of this chile. They are also excellent stuffed (rellenos). There is a red Anaheim chile, very decorative to liven p your dish, but used mostly to make ristras, which are the long hanging clusters of red peppers you see in magazines, pictures, movies, and of course in Mexico and New Mexico. They are also dried, ground to powder form, and sold as "chile colorado" or ground red pepper.

Roast your peppers on E1 Asador (see Note) or directly over your gas burner, turning to keep the roasting even. The smell is wonderful. Roast the peppers until blackened, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, watching closely and turning with tongs. You may also roast them under the broiler, 2 to 3 inches from the heat, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

As the peppers are roasted, place them immediately in a plastic zipper-lock storage bag. Close tightly and allow them to steam for 5 minutes or longer. Very carefully peel off the charred skin. Use thin rubber gloves -- and don't rub your eyes or nose! -- if the peppers are even mildly hot. Cut off the stems, remove the seeds, rinse the peppers under cool running water, and blot dry with paper towels. Slice or chop fine. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Note: E1 Asador, described on page 23, can be ordered from Santa Fe School of Cooking, 116 W. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. Telephone: 505-9834511; Fax: 505-983-7540. The price is around $20.

ROASTED RID PEPPER DELIGHTS

1 grams fat or less per serving
Serves 1
Preparation :10
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :10

1/3 cup drained roasted red bell peppers, purchased or following recipe on page 40
4 tablespoons fat-free brick-style cream cheese, softened
Pinch of crushed Mexican oregano or regular oregano (about 1/8 teaspoon)
Dash of garlic powder
1 low-fat bagel, wheat or any grain
Sprouts for garnish (optional), or shredded lettuce or chopped fresh spinach

Blend the peppers in a mini food processor or mash to a paste in a small mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir to mix well. Don't stir cream cheese too vigorously or it will get thin and runny. It has a water base and breaks down easily.

When blended to a smooth paste, spread evenly over a bagel cut in half. Serve as an open-face sandwich, garnished with sprouts, lettuce, or spinach. Or cut into bitesize pieces and serve as an appetizer with your own choice of garnishes.

STUFFED VEGETABLE APPETIZERS

0 grams fat
Makes 1 1/4 cups filling
Preparation :10
Cook :00
Stand 2:00
Tool 2:30

Clean and prepare your vegetables a day aheads: store in plastic bags. Prepare the cream cheese filling and when ready for entertaining. Put cheese mixture into vegetables.

VEGETABLES FOR STUFFING:

Cucumbers, cut into slices to be topped with cheese or halved, hollowed out, cut into half-moon chunks
Celery stalks, cut into short pieces
Cherry tomatoes, centers scooped out
Mushrooms caps (stems popped off)
Zucchini slices about 1/4 inch thick

1 (8-ounce) package fat-free brick cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated fat-free Parmesan cheese topping
1 teaspoon skim milk
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning
2 Jalapeño pepper rings, chopped extra fine
Touch of ground black pepper

Prepare vegetables of your choice.

Combine in a small mixing bowl the cream cheese (careful -- stir gently so it doesn't break down), Parmesan topping, milk, seasoning, Jalapeño, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Use a pastry bag to fill vegetables (it makes the job a lot quicker and easier). If you have no pastry bag, put the mixture into a small sandwich-type zipper-lock storage bag, close, cut a very small hole off the comer, squeeze down tight, and use just like a pastry bag.

MEXICAN HATS

1 grams fat per serving
Makes 12
Preparation :15
Cook :15
Stand :00
Total :30

Filled mushroom cap appetizers -- baked or broiled

12 large mushroom caps -- stems removed
1/2 pound fresh lean ground turkey
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
3 tablespoons egg substitute
I tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano or regular oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Ground red pepper for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, or turn the broiler on to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Clean the mushrooms: brush with a mushroom brush or wipe them with a damp paper towel.

Combine the ground turkey, onion, cilantro, egg substitute, mustard, garlic, oregano, Mexican seasoning, and soy sauce. With clean hands, mix as you would a meat loaf or such. When mixed evenly, fill each mushroom cap with the meat mixture. Place on the cookie sheet, hat top down, meat filling up. Sprinkle each very lightly with red pepper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. If you choose to cook under the broiler (which is faster when you are entertaining), broil for 6 to 10 minutes. Watch very closely. You don't want to serve burned Mexican Hats.

MANGO DRESSING

0 grams fat
Serves 4
Preparation :25
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :25

Makes about 2 cups.

2 cups very ripe mango chunks
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
Pinch of ground ginger

In a blender, combine all the above ingredients and whirl until very smooth. Use on a nice green salad or a fruit salad. Will keep up to a week.

Fat-free salad dressing can be used in a variety of ways, as marinade, as barbecue sauce, and mixed with other ingredients, as a flavorful way to bake meats. Try this one: An envelope of dried onion soup, a small jar of apricot jam, and a regular or large, depending on the amount needed: jam of salad dressing, such as Catalina, Mix together and pour over baked and drained meat, such as chicken. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer: serve over a bed of rice. Wonderful! It has a seet and sour taste -- you could have worked all day making this.

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

1 gram fat per tablespoon
Makes about 2 cups
Preparation :15
Cook :00
Stand :00
Total :15

This is a great salad dressing, but also can be used as a dip for weggies at an entertaining event.

2 ripe, soft avocados, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Tabasco Jalapeño sauce (green)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons green salsa, bottled
4 green onions, chopped very fine
1 cup fat-free sour cream, or fat-free plain yogurt

In a shallow bowl, with a fork, mash the avocados with the lime juice. (Save the avocado pits.) Add the pepper sauce, garlic, and green salsa, stirring all in well. Add the green onions and sour cream or yogurt. Continue to stir with a fork until all is nice and blended and smooth.

If using this as a dip, you may want to thicken it just a little with fat-free mayonnaise. Add I tablespoon at a time until you get the consistency desired.

Variation: You can substitute mayonnaise for the sour cream or yogurt if you use this for a salad dressing. You may want to thin it just a little, for pouring consistency. If so, add I teaspoon of nonfat skim milk and stir.

Jalapeño Jelly

Jalapeño jelly has become very popular. It is delicious on toast, bagels, English muffins, just about anything you care to put it with. A favorite for entertaining, quick and easy.

Spread it lightly on low-fat crackers. Or put a thin layer of fat-free cream cheese on a cracker and top with a dollop of jalapeño jelly. There are red and green jalapeño jellies. They are very festive during the holidays to use alongside each other, or to top every other cracker or appetizer on a platter with a different color. Trim a holiday cream cheese cake, or a regular cake with vanilla frosting, with a small amount of jalapeño jelly. Plain cookies with a little low-fat frosting on top become fancy when touched lightly with a small amount of jalapeño jelly.

Be careful when handling jalapeño peppers, you can bum your skin very easily. Let me tell you about making jalapeño jelly.

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

You have probably read about my dad's gardens and how large they were. One year Dad had a bumper crop of Jalapeño peppers. My friend Joan, who moved to the lake area from Oklahoma City, was not raised in the country and had not canned very much. However, she loved it and was learning home canning as well as all types of other projects. We decided to make jalapeño jelly for Christmas gift baskets. It is wonderful in gift baskets, even more if it is home made, and the color is very festive, as I mentioned earlier.

We got our rubber gloves on and started cleaning the nice pretty green peppers. So far, so good. We were percolating along at about 80 miles an hour on our cleaning portion of the task. I mentioned we should probably be getting rid of some of the seeds and veins. I had been told that the veins inside peppers are the hot part. I didn't really know, but it sounded to me like it could very well be. Listen and see. I turned on the garbage disposal. We continued to work at the sink. In about one minute, we started sort of hacking a little. In one more minute our breath was being taken away. I mean we had to turn the disposal off and run out in the fresh air; tears were running and we were literally gasping for air -- sort of like when you breathe ammonia. In about a half hour we were able to stop gasping for air, stop coughing, and continue on with our jelly project.

It was excellent, pretty, and fun. Our friends were very appreciative of their holiday baskets.

Needless to say, lesson learned: Never put the seeds of any hot pepper down the garbage disposal.

This has nothing to do with Mexican or jalapeño peppers, but I would like to tell you briefly about Joan and me canning beets.

I had always made pickled beets. I have been told, "These taste just like my grandma used to make," by many, many people. I believe I mentioned that Joan had not done a lifetime of canning the way I was raised to do, but she was a very fast learner and eager. She said she would like to make some pickled beets.

Dad always planted a row of beets for me even though he hated them with a passion. When the beets were ready to be canned I contacted Joan, she was there with her killer smile and eager-beaver "let's get to it" enthusiasm.

I set us up out under the big tree in the back yard. When canning in the country you do as much as possible outside to omit clean-up from the splattering and spilling. First you pull the beets, wash off any excess dirt, and boil in a large pot with the top stem only cut off two or three inches from the beet top and the root totally left on. Joan was uneasy about us cooking them stems, roots, and all.

When the beets are done to crisp-tender they are removed from the water, one at a time, peeled, and placed in a container for the next step. This was the fun part. We wore rubber gloves for two reasons: one is you would have stained hands for the rest of your life, and the second is to be able to handle them at a hotter stage. We sat there at this table talking like two old hens do, cleaning beets -- what country bliss. Bob took our picture. Looked like a slaughterhouse, the beet juice looks much like blood.

From that procedure to the rest, you then cut beets, make your brine, combine, and cook a specific amount of time.

Next comes the sterilizing of the jars, the filling of the jars, the capping of the jars, and the drying of the jars, not to mention the final clean-up of the kitchen.

We had a wonderful time, but I think that is probably the last time that Joan or I either, one, have had the time or, two, taken the time to can pickled beets. They were wonderful during the winter. But I have found for the two of us a jar from the market is fine. Maybe I have just mellowed with age enough to let the efforts be directed into a personal priority, leaving the beets to the Giant.

After Dad was in the nursing home, and he couldn't talk any longer, we had to feed him three times a day for about the last two and a half years. If someone would try to slip a little bite of beets in while feeding him, he would spit them out as fast as they went in. They are very good for you in vitamins, iron, etc. Have you ever noticed how many they serve in the hospital, or in nursing homes? Mother liked beets; she would eat them for us. She was in the nursing home just six months after Dad died.

Mother was a lot like a jalapeño pepper. Sometimes she was sweet and spicy; sometimes she would bite you, just like a jalapeño pepper will do.

Mother died May 15, 1996.

Copyright © 1998 by Betty Rohde

Edition details

• Publisher: Fireside
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0684835258
• ISBN 13: 9780684835259
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256