Jalapeño poppers

I had a lovely time touring the Leaside Longo's store.  We had the opportunity to meet Longo's food experts and enjoy an array of freshly prepared food at the event.  I enjoyed the fresh delicious oysters that were shucked and served.

I like the Veggie Bar at Longo's, which has freshly chopped fruits and vegetables that are cleaned and pre cut.  We can use these freshly cut produce to make healthy meals at home without cleaning, cutting or chopping.  This type of service is convenient for busy families and helps small families to prepare fresh meals at home.  It also promotes eating healthy and including a variety of colourful fruits/vegetables in our meals.

It is good to know the freshly cut vegetables are replaced everyday and nothing is wasted because the unsold items are used for the products that are made in the store i.e pizza, sandwich etc.  

I would prefer if all the products including the ones made in the store i.e bread etc include labels of ingredients so it is easy for us to make sure there are no ingredients with allergies, and we don't have to bother the service people each time we want to know :)
Longo's is a family owned business that puts quality and customers first.  There wasn't fresh halal products at this location, however they had packeted products available.  

The cheese section had over 300 different types of cheese, that looked really delicious.  They have a fresh juice bar, sushi, pizza, under $10 meals, fresh baked breads, pops and many more.  Longo's at Leaside will also be having cooking classes for adults and children in their loft.  
I liked the atmosphere and the design of the 1919 brick building that had a market feel.  This Leaside building once belonged to the Canadian Northern Railway and was designed to service steam locomotives.

I made these delicious Jalapeño poppers with the Jalapeño from our garden and quinoa from Longo's.  This recipe is adapted from 500 Best Quinoa Recipes by Camilla Saulsbury © 2012 Robert Rose Inc.www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission.  


1/2 cup cream cheese*

1/2 cup cooked quinoa**
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
6 large jalapeño pepper halved

* to get a delicious flavour don't use fat free cream cheese

**any type cooked I used the multicoloured quinoa.  Rinse the quinoa before using by placing it in a mesh and rinse under water.  1 part quinoa with 2 parts of water bring to a boil then cover and cook in low heat for about 12 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.  

Remove the ribs of the jalapeño if you want to make it less spicy and wash it with cold water before putting the stuffing.  

Mix the cheeses, quinoa, salt and pepper then stuff about 1 tbsp of the mixture into the halves of the jalapeño.  Bake for about 9 to 12 minutes in a 450F until the cheese is browned and bubbling.  Serve hot.  
This book 500 Best Quinoa Recipes has 100% gluten free easy to make superfood.  The book explains all about quinoa then separates it by breakfast, appetizers, snacks, soups, stews, chills, salads, sides, vegetarian, main dish, seafood, poultry, lean meat, main dishes, breads and desserts.  This book also has information about other ingredients that are used in the recipes.  

Although quinoa (keen wah) is a seed, it is cooked and eaten like a grain.  It is harvested from a broadleaf plant that belongs to goosefoot family related to spinach, beets and chard.  The plant grows upwards about 7 feet.  When the seed head is dry, the quinoa is shaken out.  The seeds are coated in saponin, which is a bitter resin like substance that protects the plant from insects and birds.  Rinsing the quinoa before cooking helps get rid of the saponin.   


Quinoa has protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, vitamin E, iron, calcium, phosphorus and zinc.  1 cup of cooked quinoa has 30% of daily food requirement.  It can be toasted like nuts, sprouted, steamed, baked or cooked.  We can grind the seeds to make quinoa flour to add into baked goods.  It is better to store the flour in the fridge or freeze to keep it fresh.  


All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2012 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

45 comments:

  1. Great pictures, as usual! People think that jalapeño's are spicy but it's the seeds (touching the inside) that make it so. I'm not big on spicy but love jalapeño's in salsa and guacamole. Thanks for sharing about this event. Wish I was there. Oysters, yum!

    Besos, Sarah
    Zookeeper at Journeys of The Zoo

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  2. Your jalapeno poppers look very yummy. I love the addition of quinoa to the stuffing. I have had the poppers with just different kinds of cheeses. Would love to try them some time:)

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  3. Yummy stuffed jalapeno peppers. LIke to grab those now, looks yummy & delectable.

    Today's recipe:
    http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.com/2012/09/mushroom-fry.html

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  4. What an interesting way to use quinoa! Your popper look really tasty.

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  5. That's such a beautiful narration torview..Loved it !
    And the recipe seems mind-blowing..I love jalapeno so much that I have this tendency to grab those from screen now !

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  6. That's such a beautiful narration torview..Loved it !
    And the recipe seems mind-blowing..I love jalapeno so much that I have this tendency to grab those from screen now !

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  7. wow! these poppers look amazing! love the idea of stuffing quinoa.

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  8. This is a healthier version of jalapeno poppers!

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  9. Adding qunioa makes it healthy... Nice one

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  10. Omg, those poppers looks extremely irresistible and seriously filling, love that quinoa stuffing.

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  11. They look really good. I guess I wouldn't be able to eat such spicy thing but it would look great on a table for the spicy food lovers :)

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  12. Sounds yum and must taste nice for sure

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  13. Nice overview of Longo's new store and a great recipe to go with it. It was so nice to see you again. It was fun that neither of us had ever tried raw oysters before :)

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  14. I tried stuffing Quiona and chicken with Pickled Jalapeno peppers and then fried them in beer batter....I should try this recipe too...Looks Awesome!

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  15. Jalapeno poppers look delicious....Loved the stuffing...

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  16. My taste buds have changed so much over the years that now I find myself craving spicy foods. These look so delicious. Also, I wish we had a store like this here - it makes me wish that I still lived in Toronto (but that was many years ago).

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  17. Hi Akheela, your stuffed poppers look very appetizing and delicious.

    Thanks for sharing the Leaside Longo's store, look like a nice place to shop. :)

    Have a nice week ahead, regards.

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  18. Those stuffed jalapeños look amazing! I wish I could find those chili pepperes here...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  19. I love jalapeno poppers but have never seen them with quinoa before, this does look really yummy!

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  20. Interesting and special creation stuffing the jalapeno with quinoa!

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  21. Very informative! I love the look of your stuffed jalapenos, so yummy!

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  22. These stuffed jalapenos look scrumptious!

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  23. I remember Longos from when I lived in Toronto. Wish we had a Longos or maybe a Pusateri's. I also miss Saturday mornings at the St. Lawrence Market.

    ~Ann

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  24. What a great take on Jalapeno poppers. They look great!

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  25. HI AKHEELA , I AM SHARING A AWARD WITH YOU. RECIEVE IT.
    THANK YOU

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  26. nice review... jalapeno poppers look delicious...

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  27. yummayy! I love peppers, and also really love quinoa for its nice nutty flavour and tiny grains when I want a different staple to rice. a plus that it's so healthy of course (:

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  28. I love a stuffed pepper.. these look great. Love the picture of your peppers in the mortar and pestle. :)

    PS.. can you put an option for people to get email notifications on your blog? I know in blogspot you just have to look under layout and then there is a gadget just for that. It would be great to get emails when you have a new post up... so I don't miss any. :)

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  29. Looks so yum, nice twist with the quinoa.

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  30. What a store! I love it. Love this healthier version of jalapeño poppers, too.

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  31. Interesting stuffing pepers with quiona is reallyy a gr8 idea

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  32. I love Longos...they produce section is the best and the service is great!

    Poppers look great..love the idea of adding of adding quinoa!

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  33. Hi Akheela, your stuffed jalapenos look great. That Longos looks like a great place. I like quinoa too.

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  34. Look at all those fresh goods. I'll have a tough time deciding on which produce to buy..delicious stuffed jalapenos. I'll keep a tall glass of ice water at hand! :)

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  35. What a delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing it.
    We don't have a Longo's where I live.

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  36. They look delish!! My husband would love them

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  37. Looks good but would probably be too spicy for me!

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  38. Mmmmmmm those jalapeno poppers look amazing! Looks super easy and quick to make...I will definitely be trying this :)

    texan_michael AT yahoo DOT com

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Thank you for commenting :)