Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Crema

Stuffed vegetables are one of my favorite ways to eat veggies. Every great cuisine and culture has a version from Gemista to Chile Rellenos to Bhari Sabziyan. I got a fabulous Gemista on blog here that show cases the beauty of Mediterranean veggies in Greek style. Im developing a recipe for Indian style stuffed veggies which hopefully Ill get to soon. Today it’s all Mexican.

This recipe has all the Mexican flavors packed into the star of Mexican peppers “Poblano” and baked to perfection. Once cooked poblanos have smoky flavor, their size and sturdiness lends perfectly to stuffing them with rice, beans and a little chicken. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan tofu works very well here. You can replace rice with quinoa for extra protein. Top it with cilantro crema for some extra flavor and you’ll have a delicious wholesome light summer dinner.

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Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Crema

Ingredients

• 1-2 chicken breast should yield 1½ cups diced for veg use crumbled tofu
• 1 cup cooked rice, you can use quinoa too.
• 1 15-ounce can refried black beans, drained well, organic preferred
• 4 large poblano peppers, halved from stem side to bottom, deseeded, and stem kept intact if possible
• 2 onions, insides scooped, leaving bottom intact and save the inside
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced about 1 teaspoon 
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon chipotle powder, if poblanos are not spicy or if are using bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, I used Trader Joe’s 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing the vegetables 
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or Pepperjack cheese, plus more if needed
• SERVING SUGGESTIONS
• Cilantro crema
• 1-2 green onions, finely sliced
• chopped cilantro
• Sour cream
• 1 avocado diced 

Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking tray. Brush the peppers with olive oil and place them cut side up on the baking sheet.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion, the insides on the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the diced chicken, crushed tomatoes and cook further sautéing for 5-7 minutes till chicken has browned and it’s not pink anymore.
4. Add the cumin, chili powders and mix well. Add the refried beans and rice. Stir to combine well. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
5. Generously stuff the halved peppers and onions with the spiced rice mixture. Cover the dish with foil.
6. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove foil, sprinkle the cheese on top, increase heat to 400°F, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until peppers are soft and slightly golden brown.
7. Garnish with assorted toppings listed above.

Cilantro Crema 

• ¼ cup hemp seeds or cashews
• 1/4 cup water
• ¼ freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 1 heaping cup fresh cilantro leaves 
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 
• 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (remove seeds for mild version, or use 2 peppers for a spicy version) 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste 

Directions

Pour the water into a high-powered blender. Add in the remaining crema ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lime juice as needed.