Stuffed Poblanos

Remember when I told you to expect more recipes with poblano peppers?  That begins here and now. In case you forgot from two whole posts ago, I recently realized poblano peppers are not insanely spicy (at all), so I vowed to give them more of a shot.  Thus I bring you stuffed poblano peppers!

These poblanos are cut in half and stuffed with a vegetarian, gluten-free filling of black beans and cornmeal, flavored with onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro and pepperjack cheese.  Are you drooling yet?  Then there's the sauce, which you whip up in .07 seconds in a food processor, using canned whole tomatoes, onions, garlic and a jalapeño (there's the spice I promised Mark!).  I'm not one for spicy foods, but even I loved this sauce.  I made sure to scoop plenty of it on top of my pepper, because although it had a kick, it was tasty.

The stuffed peppers bake under a lovely blanket of more cheese, and once you take them out of the oven, they're so pretty,you almost don't want to eat them.  Almost.  But then you and your husband devour almost all of them for dinner, and then for lunch, and then you even give some to your gluten-free cousin, who also devours them.... which reminds me, Susie and Maggie, you guys have my baking dish! :)

Anyway, if you're craving Mexican, this is probably what you should make.  Sure, go ahead and add meat if you feel the need, but I don't think you will.

Recipe:

stuffed poblanos
from Pink Parsley
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in juice
1 jalapeño chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced
2 small or 1 large onion, chopped, divided
3 garlic cloves, 2 crushed, 1 minced
kosher salt and black pepper
1 19-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 - 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup water or broth
4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

Instructions:

1) Combine the tomatoes, jalapeño, 1 onion, and 2 cloves of garlic in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.  Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spreading to cover evenly.

2) In a medium bowl, combine the beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and water.  Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper.

3) Evenly divide the stuffing among the peppers, and lay in a single layer in the baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.

4) Bake 45 minutes, or until poblanos are tender.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 - 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.