poblano peppers | dmarie-dining

Stuffed poblano peppers has become one of my favorite side dishes because they go well with any main course. Plus, you can stuff the peppers with just about anything. Rice, cous cous, tomatoes or even crab meat.

The last time I decided to stuff some poblano peppers I made Crab Stuffed Poblano Peppers. This recipe was created because I had crab meat on hand and fresh salsa I did not want to go to waste and a few poblano peppers hanging around. My original thought for the crab meat was to make crab imperial (I’ll post that recipe one day) but I decided I wanted a lighter meal on this particular day. Stuffing the peppers with crab meat seemed like the perfect side dish to our lollipop lamb and I was right.

The combination of the crab meat, fresh salsa and cheese tasted great with just a hint of spiciness. If you want more heat don’t remove the rib of the poblano peppers and leave some seeds. As most folks know that is where most of the heat comes from for any hot pepper.

Although I paired the stuffed peppers with lollipop lamb chops, they would also go with a nice Big Salad. Check out the link for a great salad recipe.

Crab Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients:

4 poblano peppers (seeds and ribs removed)

1 small container of lump crab meat

½ cup fresh hot or mild salsa

¼ cup shredded Queso or Mexican Cheese

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Juice from ½ a fresh lemon

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slit the top of each poblano pepper half way lengthwise. Set aside.

Combine the crab meat, fresh salsa and seasonings in a large bowl. Add the cheese to the bowl and stir to blend well. Stuff each pepper with a few spoonfuls of the crab mixture. Do not over stuff.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray then lay the peppers on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until the peppers are softened and the cheese is golden brown.

Anytime someone uses the word “drunken” in a recipe you know it involves alcohol. Fortunately, the alcohol usually burns off and you are left with the wonderful flavor alcohol brings to the recipe. My Drunken Chicken and Rice recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw on “Pati’s Mexican Table”.

I was watching her show while trying to come up with an idea for dinner and noticed she was making a dish with chicken thighs which I happen to have had on hand in the refrigerator. I planned to make curried chicken the next day so I had picked up the boneless chicken thighs at the grocers that morning. But, after watching Pati I figured why not try her recipe instead since I had most of the same ingredients and could substitute a few of my own.

The end result was a pan full of deliciousness. My son T looked at me after taking one bite and said, “Your putting this on your blog – right?” while hubby was digging in for his second bowl. Of course both of them added a little more heat to their portions but there was just enough heat for my tender taste buds. As a side dish, I made Poblano peppers stuffed with a blend of Mexican cheeses. I actually chopped up my Poblano pepper and stirred it into my bowl of Drunken Chicken and Rice. Absolutely Wonderful! The Poblano was an excellent accompaniment to the chicken and rice.

I would definitely recommend this recipe for a quick one pan meal. The less fuss and clean up the better in my book.

Drunken Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

6 – 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs cubed

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 small can of green chiles

½ white onion diced

½ yellow pepper diced

½ red pepper diced

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups white long grain rice

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup beer (your choice)

½ cup diced fresh tomatoes

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp Kosher salt

½ tbsp seasoned salt

½ tbsp ground black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

½ tsp Chile lime seasoning (optional)

Rinse rice in cold water and set aside.

Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat chicken with seasonings. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat Add chicken to the hot skillet and spread it out. Brown chicken on both sides then remove from the skillet and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Add a little more oil to the skillet then add the rice. Stir the rice to coat it with the oil and let cook for about 1 – 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Move the rice to the edges of the skillet to create a well in the center of the skillet. Add onions, peppers, tomatoes, green chiles, garlic, cumin and Chile lime seasoning. Stir the veggies and cook about 2 – 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Mix veggies and rice together then add beer. Stir then let simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, cooked chicken and peas to the skillet. Stir to mix well then cover and cook about 15 – 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt or other seasonings if necessary.

Side Dish Ideas: