Soy Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I have always wanted to try cooking with Poblano peppers. I should mention that I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food so the thought of a pepper that I could handle (aside from bell peppers) was intriguing. I tried them once in a Mexican restaurant with Joe and it was love at first sight. Now, how can I prepare them at home? Since I had them stuffed with rice at the restaurant, I figured stuffing was the way to go.

However, I wanted to place them over rice rather than filling them with it so I had to find a different substance, preferably rich in protein to keep me full for longer. Then it hit me, I had some organic soy chorizo that I bought at Trader Joe's the week before.  As a side note, if you haven't tried soy chorizo yet, you're missing out.  It's just as flavorful and versatile as the real stuff, minus all the fat.

Since I love veggies, I wanted to add some carrots and celery that I had to use before they went bad. Lastly.. black beans. I almost always add beans to a Spanish type dish. Since I wanted to melt some cheese on top, I wanted to place the stuffed peppers in the oven, but didn't want them to burn which gave me the idea to use some diced tomatoes on the bottom as a base.  

The aroma in the kitchen was overwhelmingly delicious! I was probably checking on them every 10 minutes because I couldn't wait for them to be done. Finally they were! And the result? Success! They came out looking beautiful and they tasted just as great. The zesty chorizo along with the mild pepper make the perfect combination.  Please comment below to let me know how you cook with poblano peppers!

Ingredients

·         6 poblano peppers

·         1chopped onion

·         1 chopped carrot

·         2 stalks of chopped celery

·         2 cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 12 oz. package of soy chorizo

·         1 15 oz. can of black beans

·         1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

·         Coconut oil (or any other oil for sautéing)

·         1 tsp paprika (because I'm Polish)

·         1 tsp chili powder

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1/4 cup chopped cilantro

·         Shredded cheese (Any kind you like and however much your heart desires. I only had sliced cheese on hand so that is what I used)

Instructions

1. Add some oil to the pan* on high heat. After it's hot, add chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes.

2. Add chopped carrots, celery and garlic** and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once tender, add the soy chorizo, black beans and seasoning.

3. While the mixture is cooking on low heat, cut the top off the poblano peppers , then core and seed the peppers.

4. Move the mixture to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Once the mixture has cooled, begin stuffing peppers, along with some shredded cheese. I used toothpicks to secure the top and body of pepper together.

6. Once the peppers are stuffed, add diced tomatoes to the pan and place stuffed peppers on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and shredded cheese. Move the pan to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

7. Serve over rice.

*Use an oven-safe pan. If you don't have one, you can always use two different pots/dishes, one for sautéing on the stovetop and one for baking in the oven.

**Let your garlic sit for a few minutes after smashing and mincing so that flavors are released. This also helps enhance the health-promoting properties of garlic.