Stuffed Poblano Peppers

 

In his weekly grocery shopping trip last week Gary noticed the largest poblano peppers he'd ever seen. He got a couple of them. I decided to make stuffed poblano peppers with ingredients I had on hand. First I blistered the skins of two poblano peppers and placed them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to sweat the peppers so the skins are easier to remove. When the peppers were cool I cut them open in the middle of the top side, carefully removed the membranes and seeds and set them aside.

The stuffing ingredients I used were half a red onion chopped fine, 3 stalks of celery chopped fine, 20 button mushrooms chopped in half inch pieces, dried cilantro and cumin, salt and pepper, chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, and one slightly beaten egg. I topped my stuffed peppers roasted red pepper relish and 4 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese. You can substitute salsa for the relish and a good melting cheese of your choice. You can also mix up the stuffing ingredients with whatever you have on hand.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Saute the mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil and set them aside in a small bowl. Next I sautéed the red onion and when soft I added the chopped celery to soften it. When soft I added them to the mushrooms then I added the herbs spices, bread crumbs and the egg. Toss gently till blended. Stuff the peppers and place them in a lightly oiled glass baking dish. Top the peppers with the mild red pepper relish or a salsa if you prefer. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and top with grated cheese and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes till cheese is melted.

These are so delicious and a meal by themselves. With poblano peppers you never know if they'll be mildly spicy. To counteract the heat keep a small glass of milk nearby. Milk is best used rather than water or any other liquid to quell the heat on the palate. (Images borrowed from the net)

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