Green Chile Pecan Cheese Spread
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese spread (or softened cream cheese)
¼ cup green chile, drained and minced
¼ lime
1 ½ – 2 heaping Tbsp. toasted pecans, finely chopped
A dash of salt
1/8 tsp. oregano (I use Mexican oregano)
Instructions:
Makes about ¾ cup
To toast the pecans, put about 3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped pecans in a hot skillet over medium heat. Shake and toss the pecans for about 2 to 3 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a cutting board and chop fine.
Transfer the cream cheese and green chile to a wide bowl. Using a fork or spatula, integrate the chile into the cream cheese. Squeeze the lime into the bowl and continue to combine the ingredients until smooth. Add the dash of salt, oregano, and the pecans. Stir to combine. Transfer to serving bowl. Top with more pecans if you’d like.
Serve with Pita chips, bagel chips, crackers, flatbread, or apple slices. Roll it up into a flour tortilla and cut into bite size snacks or spread it on a bagel for a breakfast or lunch.
Toasting the Bagel chips
Cut two bagels from top to bottom, diagonally into 1/4 inch slices. Place the bagel slices on a cookie sheet or pizza pan and placed under the broiler until lightly toasted. Keep any eye on the toasts because they brown quickly. Turn the pieces over and toast the other side. Spread a little of the pepper spread on a toasted bagel chip and enjoy!
From mjskitchen.com