I belong to a group of Latina bloggers, and within the group there are a few of us obsessed with food.  One of my blogging hermanas decided to call a Latina Cook-Off challenge. The only criteria is we use pistachios and bacon in our recipe and post it on Saturday September 3rd. Here is my entry to the cook off…. a simple appetizer that will be gone faster then you can say WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS!

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for pistachio cheese filled dates wrapped in bacon:

16 – medjool dates

1/4 – cup cream cheese

1/4 – cup goat cheese

17 – wonderful pistachios (shelled and chopped)

4 – stalks green onion (chopped)

1/4 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt

1/4 – teaspoon black pepper

8 – slices bacon

Take dates and slice down one side and remove pit.

In a small mixing bowl add cream cheese, goat cheese, chopped wonderful pistachios, chopped green onion, Lawry’s and black pepper. Mix well. Then fill a teaspoon with a heaping amount of cheese filling and fill date. Repeat till done.

Grab your bacon and slice in half.

Take a half piece of bacon wrap it around date and close with a toothpick. Repeat until done.

Place all bacon wrapped dates on a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.

Place under the broiler on high  and cook on first side for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden crisp, then remove from broiler flip them over and cook on the other side for an additional 4 minutes.  PERFECT PISTACHIO CHEESE FILLED DATES WRAPPED IN BACON!!!!!!

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a sample of  Wonderful Pistachios to aid this recipe. The recipe and opinions are my own.

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Thanks to Melissa’s Produce I’m on a hatch chile kick.  All sorts of chile dishes have been made in my kitchen this week.  Some traditional, others experimental.  No one is complaining, just devouring dish after dish.  I’ve brought a few friends through my door with the mere mention of hatch chile….. Oh the power they have over us chile lovers.  I decided to highlight this rendition of Chicken Cordon Bleu, minus the ham, insert the HATCH.  It turned out to be a hit.  I’m glad I made a few, because there would have been several frowns around my house if there were none left over for tomorrow.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for chicken hatch en blu:

5 – hot hatch chiles (roasted, peeled, deseed, and sliced)

2 – chicken breast (sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices) (each breast should make 3 slices)

6 – blue granite jack slices or a cup of crumbled blue cheese

salt and pepper to taste

2 – eggs beaten

2 cups panko

3 – tablespoons olive oil

toothpicks

Let’s start with basic 101 of roasting chiles. Place hatch chiles over an open flame. Then once skin is charred place in a ziplock bag and let steam for an hour. Remove from bag, and peel off charred skin under a slow stream of water. Then remove stem and seeds from chile. Cut into long strips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then line a cookie sheet with foil and set to the side.

Slice your chicken into 1/4 inches.

Get all your ingredients ready to roll.

Take a chicken slice and place roasted chile on top then layer with blue granite jack.

Then slowly roll, and close with a toothpick.

Once you get all your chickens in a roll…. season with salt and pepper.

Prepare panko crumbs by pouring olive oil over the top and mixing evenly.  This will help your panko crumbs to brown.  Take a chicken hatch roll and dip in beaten eggs.  Next dip into prepared panko.  Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is not pink. Your chicken hatch en bleu will be spilling over with cheese.  Just the way I like it!  Spicy, crunchy, blue cheesy, and yummy.

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a sample of  Melissa’s Produce hatch chiles to aid this recipe. The recipe and opinions are my own. Thank you Melissa’s Produce for the wonderful batch of hatch!