STUFFED POBLANO PEPPER CASSEROLE - Sandy Kitely

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic - minced

1/4 cup fresh oregano - roughly chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)

1 1/2 cups corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 poblano peppers - sliced in half, seeds removed

• In a large pan, add the rice, vegetable broth, cumin and coriander.
  

• Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes or according to package directions.
  

• Stir the green onions, garlic, oregano and corn into the pan of cooked rice.
  

• Add the shredded cheese, and stir until well blended and the cheese has melted.
  

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  

• Spray a 9 inch by 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
  

• Place the poblano peppers on the bottom of the baking dish.
  

• Stuff each of the poblano peppers with the rice and cheese mixture.
  

• Extra filling can be placed on the bottom of the casserole dish, around the stuffed peppers.
  

• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly brown on top.
  

• ENJOY!
  

CHILI STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS - Sandy Kitely

Lisa's Mom made this dish for a family dinner and both Lisa and Steve raved about it, so we're sharing it with all of you!

Ingredients:

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

4 large poblano peppers*

1 can (15 ounces) chili-seasoned beans

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chili-style chunky tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon Mexican (adobo) seasoning

2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese

*Poblano peppers can sting and irritate the skin, so wear rubber gloves when handling peppers and do not touch your eyes.

• Preheat broiler. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in 3-quart saucepan. Meanwhile, cook ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink.
  

• Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Add 4 pepper halves to boiling water; cook 3 minutes or until bright green and slightly softened. Remove and drain upside down on plate. Repeat with remaining 4 halves. Set aside.
  

• Add beans, tomatoes and Mexican seasoning to ground beef. Cook and stir over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.
  

• Arrange peppers, cut side up, in 13X9-inch baking dish. Divide chili mixture evenly among peppers; top with cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
  

• Serve with corn bread and chunky salsa.
  

GREEN POBLANO RICE - http://poblanorecipes.blogspot.com

Lisa's Mom, Sandy Kitely, happened upon this website when she was looking for the previous recipe...there are TONS of great recipe suggestions on this blog - check it out!!

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups chicken broth or water

2 fresh poblano chiles, stems and seeds removed, and roughly chopped

12 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon if using salted broth, 1 teaspoon if using unsalted or water

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

1 cup rice, preferably medium grain

1 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

• The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.
  

• The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
  

• Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.
  

• Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.
  

*You could use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.

CAYENNE PEPPERS  - How to make your own ground cayenne pepper

Cut the stem end from the cayenne peppers and remove seeds.  Place them on a rimmed baking dish in a 350F oven until completely dried out.  Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn!  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  With a mortar and pestal, combine the dried cayenne with a small amount of salt - this helps the grinding process.  Once ground to your taste, place in an airtight jar and store in a dark cupboard.

If you wish to simply have the dried cayenne (or red chilis) on hand, follow the above recipe and skip the grinding process.  You can even leave the seeds and create your own red chili flakes by grinding with the mortar and pestle until flaked instead of ground.

266 Ashworth Road  .  Zephyr, ON  .  L0E 1T0    905.830.4521    steve-lisacooper@coopersfarm.ca