Spiced-up recipes offer taste of Hispanic cuisine

Hawaii’s Hispanic community will come together at the Cinco de Mayo Street Festival in Chinatown. Local Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban restaurants will feature seasonal specialties alongside other downtown venues and Hono­lulu food trucks. This week we feature some spicy recipes to kick off the festivities.

JALAPEÑO BACON CHICKEN POPPERS

4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
4 small boneless, skinless breasts, pounded thin
Salt and pepper, to taste

8 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, mix jalapeños, cream cheese and cheddar. Set aside.

Lay chicken flat and season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 of jalapeño mixture on chicken and roll it up. Wrap in 2 slices of bacon and place on baking dish. Repeat with rest of chicken.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until cooked through. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 500 calories, 36 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, 770 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 2 g sugar, 39 g protein

SLOW COOKER CARNE GUISADA

2-1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
Hawaiian salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large jalapeño, seeded and minced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons flour
1-3/4 cups beef broth
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Flour tortillas
Grated cheddar, for topping
Cilantro, for topping

Season beef with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on high. In two batches, brown beef on all sides, 5 minutes per batch; repeat with second batch. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

In same skillet on medium heat, add remaining oil; add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano and flour and cook 1 minute.

Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker; add tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high 6 hours. Serve in warm tortillas topped with cheese and cilantro. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste or tortilla): 350 calories, 13 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 41 g protein

ANCHO CHILI CHOCOLATE COOKIES

12 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (available at some supermarkets or specialty markets)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment. Melt 8 ounces of chocolate; coarsely chop remaining chocolate.

In small bowl, mix dry ingredients.

With electric mixer on medium in large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add melted chocolate; beat until well blended.

Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 1-1/2 inches apart on sheets. Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies are set and slightly cracked. Makes 3 dozen.

Approximate nutritional information, per small cookie: 90 calories, 4.5 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 1 g protein

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Find more Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes at www.heco.com.