Friday
Moderator
Chicken & Polenta Stuffed Poblanos (or vegetarian, or beef)
Poblano Prep
- Leave stems on for easier moving about
- Char the tough skins to smokey up & soften the peppers (BBQ, gas stove, or under the broiler in the oven makes little difference)
- Rinse of the char & skins under running water
- Save one pepper out to whirl into a creamy sauce later
- Cut a slice in the other poblanos (remove seeds & veins for less heat)
- Lay out on baking sheet lightly oiled, or nonstick grid above baking sheet
Meats Prep
- Roughly chop raw chicken thighs & stirfry with onions&garlic, salt&pepper, and any favorite Latin herbs&spices. Toss in bowl with salsa verde & fresh chopped cilantro to seriously sauce it up.
- Brown ground beef with salt & garlic & onion, smother in Herdez salsa ranchera (or similar, something rich & smokey, like chipotle & adobo) and let simmer for a piece. When done, tossing in some extra tomatoes or stirring in some chocolate chips -for pseudo mole- to melt are both fun. If you used chipotle in adobo? raspberries also love smokey jalapeño awesomeness. Whether fresh or a dollup of jam.
Polenta Prep
- I like the sweet & creamy of polenta cooked in plain salted water, but most people prefer cooking in some kind of stock, or grilled veggie water (like sautéing onions, garlic, peppers, and then adding polenta and water). To each their own. Cook to package directions... as your corn grind-size will change the liquid ratio.
- When nearly done, add a generous amount of Pico de Gallo and give it a stir and shut burner off, or turn to lowest possible setting.
- Stuff peppers “immediately” as polenta will start to solidify fairly quickly (IE you’ve got about half an hour to an hour. It’s not candy OMG fast.))
Pepper Stuffing
- Fill (almost) half the pepper with polenta, and (almost) half with meat filling. You’re just leaving room for pico de Gallo & sauces to top with after baking.
- For creamy polenta, bake immediately.
- If you don’t mind more solid-set polenta peppers can be nipped in the fridge for up to 1-2days in advance, or into the freezer to defrost and cook later for up to 6-12mo. Everything is already cooked, it just needs to be reheated to combine flavors and serve.
Baking or BBQ’ing
- oven to 400F 200C, BBQ use indirect heat
- done when heated through (steamy &/or smokey meldedness has happened). Warm from the counter will be a few minutes, cold from the fridge a bit longer!
Top w/ pico de Gallo, creamy poblano sauce, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, etc.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Creamy Poblano Sauce
- Add your reserved charred/rinsed poblano pepper (minus stem) to a blender with cashew cream, lime juice, cilantro stems, salsa verde, salt, & pepper. Whirl until smooth. Drizzle over virtually anything. Avocado will thicken.
Pico de Gallo.
- (Chopped or diced) tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños -or- green bell pepper for mild heat, fresh cilantro, lemon & lime juice, salt, and a rather alarming amount of fresh cracked black pepper. Let sit in a bow or ziplock to meld
What I reeeeeally wanted was paella stuffed peppers; but to me paella means seafood & sausage, jambalaya’s kissing cousin, and I have neither... so it’s just sorta winging it with what happens to be around. Some of these will be vegetarian simply by not adding meat (although if I were only doing veggie ones and not 3 flavors already I’d probably go a bit wild here, or at the very least add some rice/beans for the protein, in point of fact Cuban black beans and rice with charred pineapple salsa sounds divine but I simply don’t have the time ); as I’ve gotten suckered into cooking more than I have chicken for, for a lot more people than I’d planned on, so I’m making some with chicken, some ground beef, and some simply sans meats. Similarly, I’d love and adore to do a grilled shrimp or coconut shrimp stuffed poblano, but this dinner started out with my shocking lack of shrimp. C’est la vie. Another time we’ll do grilled &/or coconut shrimp, and Kailua pork & poi, and Cubano vegetarian peppers. As all 3 would love grilled pineapple salsa. TONIGHT! It’s about speed.
Poblano Prep
- Leave stems on for easier moving about
- Char the tough skins to smokey up & soften the peppers (BBQ, gas stove, or under the broiler in the oven makes little difference)
- Rinse of the char & skins under running water
- Save one pepper out to whirl into a creamy sauce later
- Cut a slice in the other poblanos (remove seeds & veins for less heat)
- Lay out on baking sheet lightly oiled, or nonstick grid above baking sheet
Meats Prep
- Roughly chop raw chicken thighs & stirfry with onions&garlic, salt&pepper, and any favorite Latin herbs&spices. Toss in bowl with salsa verde & fresh chopped cilantro to seriously sauce it up.
- Brown ground beef with salt & garlic & onion, smother in Herdez salsa ranchera (or similar, something rich & smokey, like chipotle & adobo) and let simmer for a piece. When done, tossing in some extra tomatoes or stirring in some chocolate chips -for pseudo mole- to melt are both fun. If you used chipotle in adobo? raspberries also love smokey jalapeño awesomeness. Whether fresh or a dollup of jam.
Polenta Prep
- I like the sweet & creamy of polenta cooked in plain salted water, but most people prefer cooking in some kind of stock, or grilled veggie water (like sautéing onions, garlic, peppers, and then adding polenta and water). To each their own. Cook to package directions... as your corn grind-size will change the liquid ratio.
- When nearly done, add a generous amount of Pico de Gallo and give it a stir and shut burner off, or turn to lowest possible setting.
- Stuff peppers “immediately” as polenta will start to solidify fairly quickly (IE you’ve got about half an hour to an hour. It’s not candy OMG fast.))
Pepper Stuffing
- Fill (almost) half the pepper with polenta, and (almost) half with meat filling. You’re just leaving room for pico de Gallo & sauces to top with after baking.
- For creamy polenta, bake immediately.
- If you don’t mind more solid-set polenta peppers can be nipped in the fridge for up to 1-2days in advance, or into the freezer to defrost and cook later for up to 6-12mo. Everything is already cooked, it just needs to be reheated to combine flavors and serve.
Baking or BBQ’ing
- oven to 400F 200C, BBQ use indirect heat
- done when heated through (steamy &/or smokey meldedness has happened). Warm from the counter will be a few minutes, cold from the fridge a bit longer!
Top w/ pico de Gallo, creamy poblano sauce, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, etc.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Creamy Poblano Sauce
- Add your reserved charred/rinsed poblano pepper (minus stem) to a blender with cashew cream, lime juice, cilantro stems, salsa verde, salt, & pepper. Whirl until smooth. Drizzle over virtually anything. Avocado will thicken.
Pico de Gallo.
- (Chopped or diced) tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeños -or- green bell pepper for mild heat, fresh cilantro, lemon & lime juice, salt, and a rather alarming amount of fresh cracked black pepper. Let sit in a bow or ziplock to meld
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