If you know me, you know I have a special place in my heart for all things Mexican; and these last few days I have had my fair share of nachos, enchiladas, tacos and now...Stuffed Poblanos. I was alone last week while my son and husband were off visiting my father-in-law, and I ate (or drank) Mexican everyday. Mostly in the form of nachos. If you are one to mix flavors, I am a big fan of
Trader Joes Paneer Tikka Masala, and I must say...put it on top of tortilla chips and then cover in cheese, oh its heaven. {Everything is better with cheese...lots of cheese!}
I try to use fresh from the garden or from the farmers market during the summer, as much as possible. We have had a lot of tomatoes but they never got very big, and we have had jalapenos out the wazoo. I have made salsa and will probably be making more...but I wanted to make something different, vegetarian (I was going to go vegan, but that damn need for cheese gets in the way every time) and with Mexican flavors. Realizing that going vegetarian probably meant that I would be the only one eating it, also meant I can make it how I would like to make it. So...other than the items from our garden I stopped at the farmers market on my way home from work and while ogling over all the peppers, the decision was made...I must stuff them.
Now...I am not against the use of meat in this dish, so you could easily add ground beef or turkey, shredded chicken or what ever you fancy. I was just in the mood for meatless...which tends to be more often than not.
3-5 Poblano peppers
Filling:
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup quinoa
1 can black beans
1 ear of corn
5-6 small tomatoes, quartered
2 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Topping
Roasted tomato sauce, recipe below
Shredded cheese
Chopped cilantro
Cook the rice and quinoa as directed, set aside. Meanwhile, place the corn, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion and garlic on a baking dish, roast the veggies just until soft. Place under the broiler on low heat, tossing at least once. Remove and cool slightly, so you are able to handle them, chop everything up and remove the kernels from the ear of corn. Add to a large bowl, add the rice, beans and spices; mix well. Mix in the cheese.
Carefully remove the top of the poblano peppers, I cut around the stem and then twisted and it pulled most of the seeds out, you may need to do a little seed clean up. Spoon the filling into the peppers, make sure to push it down as far as possible. Lay the peppers in a shallow baking dish. Cover is sauce and cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
2 jalapenos
1 small onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
3-4 cups tomatoes, I used a combination of small ones from my garden and cherry tomatoes from a market
1-2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
Add all the vegetables to a pan and roast under the broiler until soft and slightly charred. Once they are done, add to the food processor with the spices and blend until smooth. Store in a tight lidded container in the refrigerator.
So yummy! Enjoy it!
