Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper (paleo)

My friend Ericka made some fabulous looking jalapeno poppers and suggested I give it a whirl. I just met Ericka about two months ago when I came to CrossFit Maven. She moved here in the Fall specifically to train with one of the coaches and owners, Brad Berlin, which says a lot about the box and programming. Ericka is is headed to regionals with the team and is just one of many incredible women I train with.... feels good. :)

Anyway! Recipe! The jalapenos I picked out were crazy hot! If I had gloves when I was cutting them I would have used them. Whatever you do when you are making this recipe don't touch your eyes!

 I used homemade cashew "cheese" as the filling and it expands when you bake them so go easy on the filling. I also used a half slice of bacon per popper but you could easily use a whole piece, I had small peppers. Don't expect it to taste like the cream cheese you are used to, but the almost sweet flavor when they are baked with the spicy jalapeno is heavenly.

Don't over stuff! 

Smelling them while they bake is torture.

So good!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

(Printable Version)

- 7 jalapenos, seeded and cut in half
- 7 slices of bacon, cut in half
- 1 cup Raw Cashews
- 3 Tbsp Coconut oil
- 1 Tbl lemon juice
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper

1. Boil water in a sauce pan and cook the jalapenos for about 5 min until they soften. While this is going on make the cashew cheese...
2. Add the cashews through pepper into a very high powered blender and blend on high for a few minutes. If the cheese is too thick add a touch of water while the blender is on.
3. Drain the jalapenos and stuff them with the "cheese". Wrap with bacon and bake for 25-35 min- until bacon is crispy. If it is not crispy enough by the end, broil for a few minutes but don't burn them!