In Lieu of Writing: Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Alright so I haven't posted to my blog in a year. As an excuse, I started graduate school and dropped my writing group. My writing group, and writing guru, Diane Owens, is the key to unlocking my muse. Despite writing my 20 page research papers this year, I am missing writing the really awesome, soul searching/revealing stuff that feeds my soul...so...just started back with the writing group. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, instead of feeding my soul, I've been (as usual) feeding my belly. I love to cook. I am pretty good--not stellar (I'm no Lisa Alado or anything), but I hold my own. Tonight, I tried to remake some stuffed poblanos I'd made 6-8 months ago, but I am an ad-lib cook, so I couldn't remember what I put in them. I thought I'd share this iteration of the recipe with you, so perhaps next time I go to make them, I'll have it recorded somewhere!

6 poblano/pasilla peppers (our store never has poblanos, so I use pasilla)
1 c Lundberg Jubilee rice, cooked (got it at Whole Foods)
1 lb. pork chorizo
16 oz. canned black beans
1 tbsp. olive oil
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
6 slices cheddar or monterey jack (I didn't have the MJ so used cheddar)
1/2 cup queso fresco

Preheat the broiler on high, with rack set to middle of oven.

Cut the tops off the peppers, carefully removing the seeds and membrane. Reserve the tops.

Cook the chorizo (seriously, it's worth it to get it at Whole Foods...WAY less grease and it crumbles instead of turning into a weird, red mushy mass). Add black beans (drained and rinsed) and cooked rice. Stuff each pepper full of the chorizo/bean/rice mixture. Place on broiler-friendly pan. Put top on end.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic clove, cook for a minute or so. Add crushed tomatoes, chile powder, and cumin. Stir and cook on low heat.

Put peppers in oven. Turn after 10 minutes (this was tough, but it's doable). Pepper should be turning brown/black and starting to blister. Broil 10 more minutes, then pour the tomato sauce over all the peppers and place a slice of cheddar on top of each one. Broil another 5 minutes.

Remove peppers from oven, sprinkled crumbled queso over all. EAT UP!

Hope you enjoy. Stay tuned for my reentry into writing...