Creamy quinoa jalapeño poppers topped with smoky chipotle coconut bacon. So dreamy! And the perfect appetizer for game day.

What if I told you that these Creamy Quinoa Jalapeño Poppers were not only SUPER delicious, but also healthy, gluten-free, protein-filled and easy-to-make? Basically, this recipe is a dream come true! I was inspired by an assignment that I currently have, where I have to come up with 10 great quinoa recipes, but lucky for you guys the publisher wasn’t super into this idea. Now, we win because I get to post it on the internet for everyone to enjoy. 😉

Maybe you’re wondering how something so magnificent-looking is also nutritionally well-rounded? The creamy filling is made of a mixture of cooked quinoa and silken tofu, plus a little coconut oil and some seasonings. These ingredients mean that there is a fair amount of protein (instead of just fatty cream cheese), and you have all of your essential amino acids from the quinoa. At this point, the coconut bacon on top is a flavorful bonus!

Speaking of coconut bacon, I used Phoney Baloney’s Chipotle BBQ flavor, but you can definitely make your own like I have in the past for these Mexican Twice Baked Potatoes! It gives the right amount of savory, smoky, crunchiness to the creamy popper. I’m serving these at a potluck tomorrow and so far have had good feedback from the interns (my omnivore folks), but I can’t wait to hear what a bunch of vegan bloggers have to say about them!

In other popper-unrelated news: the book contract has been SIGNED! Wheeeee! The due date for my manuscript is September 1st with photos due sometime in September. I feel like this year is going to be gone and over before I know it, but what a good problem to have in this case. From what I was told, the book will come out sometime in 2016! Before then, I will put out a calling for recipe testers, but I don’t need all y’all awesome people just yet. 😀

Now, back to popper-heaven AKA the recipe!

One Year Ago: Apple Fennel Seitan Dogs // Two Years Ago: Trio of Brunch Beverages // Three Years Ago: Baked Spinach Falafel with Homemade Tzatziki

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Creamy Quinoa Jalapeño Poppers with Coconut Bacon

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Creamy quinoa jalapeño poppers topped with smoky chipotle coconut bacon. Dreamy!

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Ingredients

Filling

• 1/3 cup white quinoa, rinsed
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 12 oz . firm Silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut vinegar, you can sub with a smaller amount of ACV
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1- 1 1/4 teaspoons of sea salt, or to taste

Assembly

• in Eight 3-4" long green jalapeños, cut half lengthwise with seeds/septums scooped out
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup coconut bacon

Instructions

Filling

1. Place the quinoa and vegetable broth in a small pan over medium-low heat and covered with a lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all liquid is soaked up and the quinoa is soft. Fluff with a wooden spoon or fork.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, place the rest of the filling ingredients into a food processor and puree until completely smooth. Once the quinoa is cooked, stir it into the tofu mixture until combined.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Fill each pepper half with 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the creamy filling and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until all are filled and lined up on the sheet.
3. Mix the cornmeal and nutritional yeast together in small dish and sprinkle it over the poppers.
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes have passed, gently press the coconut bacon pieces into the top of each popper. Then bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, but make sure not to burn the coconut bacon pieces.
6. Once out of the oven, let the poppers cool for 2 minutes and serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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Have a great weekend, everyone!