Stuffed Poblano Peppers

      I received an anonymous bouquet of flowers yesterday. A big, happy, colorful bouquet of Gerbera Daisies. They came in a lime green vase and make my kitchen very cheerful. Each time I glance over at them, a big grin creeps onto my face. They came with the nicest note of love and encouragement. If you, anonymous person, are reading this...Thank You!!! I love the flowers.

    Now, onto the stuffed peppers. I was initially curious about this recipe because of the great reviews, but once I read through the ingredients I knew I had to make it. My household LOVES shrimp. Poblanos and cheese are also well received. The recipe recommends using short-grain rice instead of long-grain. When you use the short grain it turns the filling into a faux risotto. The creamy rice, the spicy sausage and sweet shrimp make a flavorful filling.  The filling alone reminded me of jambalya. It can be eaten alone, but it pairs well with the roasted poblano.
    Poblano peppers are funny. The ones I got were pleasant, they had a little more flavor than a standard green bell, but they weren't too spicy. Sometimes, poblanos can be on the spicy side. I'm a big fan of roasting peppers. It gives them an entirely different flavor, less harsh and more sweet. It becomes the ideal vessel to be eaten with the filling. The cheese helps the whole recipe come together for a great family dinner and a beautiful dish good enough to serve while entertaining.


Note: If stuffing chiles seems too tedious. Follow directions through roasting the chiles. Instead of removing the top quarter; cut the chiles in half and remove the ribs and seeds. Then chop the chiles into large dice and layer on the bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish. Next layer the rice and meat filling and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover rice layer with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes to melt and brown the cheese. Serve.


Stuffed Poblano Peppers
adapted from Guy Fieri


1 tablespoon oil
1/2 lb. Mexican-style chorizo (andouille sausage can be substituted)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced (use serrano chile for more heat)
1 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup short-grain rice
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup water
4 large, fresh poblano chiles
1 lb. shrimp, shelled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (substitute cheddar for half this mixture if desired)


In a medium saucepan, heat oil and chorizo, cook for 3 minutes.  Break of the chorizo with a spoon while cooking. Add peppers, jalapeno, onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, then add rice and cook and stir until the each grain is coated with oil. Add all liquids and stir over high heat for 3 minutes, cover and reduce heat to low. Check rice for doneness after 20 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400º. Place poblano chiles on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, cut top 1/4 of chile off and remove ribs and seeds. 


When rice is finished cooking, fluff with fork and stir in shrimp. Stuff chiles with 1/4  of the rice mixture. Place all chiles on baking sheet and place into oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, mix cheeses together and cover stuffed pepper with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.