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As much as I enjoy cooking, I’m not too varied in my recipes. Because of my fickle bowels and intestines, I typically stick to the same seasonings and spices while cooking.  However, since getting married I’ve expanded my spice reproitire to include things my husband enjoys.  This usually results in two versions of the same recipe: my non-spicy, non-dairy, non-greasy version and his spicy, dairy-laden, greasy version.

Recently he bought me this fun cookbook that gives restaurant recipes so you can recreate them at home.  My first attempt was the Crab Nachos from Joe’s Crab Shack.  Full of cream cheese, cheese, jalapenos and more – I knew he was gonna be a lone ranger on this adventure.

I embraced the chance to make pico de gallo from scratch, as well as homemade black bean and corn relish. It also afforded me the chance to slice and dice a jalapeno, something I had never done before.

1. You start with a cutting board, a knife and the jalapeno that needs slicing…

2. Cut the stem off.

3. Lay the jalapeno on it’s cut side so it stands up straight.

4. Hold one side as you slice the jalapeno in half.

5. Isolate the seeded vein and prepare to cut it out.

6. Cut out the vein and any seeds.

7. Now you can chop the jalapeno in long pieces, or you can toss it into a food processor and chop it into tiny bits (ideal for salsa’s and garnish).

It was that simple!

My favorite part though was watching my hubs dig in to the final product (Crab Nachos) and utter complimenting grunts, affirming I hit the mark.