Meatless (Memorial) Monday!

Welcome to Carroll Gardens Patch's weekly column in the spirit of the Meatless Monday initiative, which promotes going without meat one day a week to reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

This week in honor of Memorial Day Weekend we're offering up a simple meatless appetizer you can grill up at an outdoor barbecue.

I've been making this Bobby Flay recipe in some variation once a summer for the past four years and it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser—like everyone's favorite cheesy jalapeño poppers, but grilled instead of fried. Impossible to resist. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese-Stuffed Jalapeño Chilis

Ingredients

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 oz. soft goat cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
2 green onions (green and pale-green part), thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper
12 large jalapeño chilis, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded
1 heaping Tbsp ancho chili powder

Method

1. Heat grill to medium.

2. Whisk together cream cheese and goat cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold in cheddar and green onions; season with salt and pepper. Fill each jalapeño half with 2 Tbsp of the mixture; sprinkle with ancho powder.

3. Place chilis on grill, filling-side-up; cook until slightly charred and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon Grilled Red Pepper–Tomato Sauce (recipe below) onto a platter and top with the jalapeños.

Grilled Red-Pepper Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 large red pepper, grilled, peeled, and chopped
4 plum tomatoes, grilled and charred on all sides, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Combine red pepper, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, honey, and cilantro in a food processor; process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add oil and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6. Per serving with sauce: 150 calories, 5g carbs, 5g protein, 25mg cholesterol, and 13g fat.