Stuffed Poblano Peppers



I saw this recipe in YumSugar and I really like the idea of making a healthy Poblanos Stuffed with Cheddar and Chicken,  I've been house sitting for my parents for the past two weeks and the fact that they have a granite covered kitchen completed with a Viking range and a Bosch dishwasher makes their kitchen a lot more enjoyable to cook in.  I've been cooking up a storm and found a great recipe that I love.

Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

4 Poblano Peppers

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (bake in a 400 F oven for 35 minutes with olive oil, salt and pepper)

salt and pepper

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

1/2 Fresno Chili pepper, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. coriander

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

 3 tbsp. tomato paste

1-2 splashes of water

2 cups of white cheddar cheese, shredded

If you have a gas stove, place the Poblano Peppers directly on the flame to char the skin on all sides of the pepper.  If you have an electric stove, turn on the broiler and put the peppers on a baking pan, char the peppers on all sides.  Once the peppers are well charred, place in a paper bag or glass dish with enough room to cover with saran rap to steam them for 15-20 minutes.  Once cool, remove the skin of the pepper (it should come off fairly easily, use some cold water if necessary.  Slice one side of the pepper and take out the stem and all the ribs and seeds from the pepper.  Place on a aluminum foil lined sheet tray face up.

In a saute pan, sweat the onions, garlic and Fresno Chili with some salt and pepper.  Once softened, add the chili powder, coriander, oregano and cumin, stir to combine and toast the spices a bit.  Add the chicken and the tomato paste along with a few splashes of water.  Stir to combine and taste for seasoning, adjust to your liking.  Add 3/4 cup of the cheese to the mixture and stir to combine, it will melt a bit.  Toss in the scallions and chopped cilantro at the very end.

Add the chicken and vegetable mixture to each pepper equally and then put the remaining cheese on top of the mixture in the pepper.  Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes till the cheese is bubbly and gooey.