Spicing Up Your Life, Poblano Style

Worth the Work

One of my all time favorite recipes is one my mom taught me to make. It’s spicy, It’s salty, it’s flavorful, it’s roasted stuffed poblanos with smoky quinoa, sweet potatoes, and black beans.

This is definitely a time-consuming, more difficult meal to cook, but it’s great because it leaves you with leftovers for days. They stay fresh in a container, so they are great to eat off of throughout the week!

I love spicy foods, and this one has so many different flavors, spices, herbs, and vegetables that mix well. It is filled with fiber and protein, so it’s quite a filling meal, even though there’s no meat, as this recipe is vegan+ gluten-free! This recipe is from vanillaandbean.com, which has an infinite number of sweet and savory recipes to choose from.

Meal Prep

They suggest making the avocado cream a day ahead of prepping the meal, but I love the consistency of the cream when making it right before being used. It’s noticeably fresher, and has a fluffier consistency after just being processed. BUT, that doesn’t mean it’s bad once saved! In fact, the avocado cream is actually a great dressing or drizzle for just about anything savory.

For the Avocado Cream:

• 1 Medium Avocado
• A bushel of Cilantro
• 3-5 Pickled Jalapeño Rings
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• Water, to thin

In a food processor add the avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, salt, lemon, and cumin. Whirl ingredients while drizzling about 1/3 cup of water in. The cream should be thin enough to slather or dip. Thin to desired consistency.

For the Peppers:

• 1 1/2 C Sweet Potato, peeled and diced small
• 4 tsp Coconut Oil unrefined, melted, divided
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Chipotle Chili Powder or Chili Powder
• 14 oz Poblanos, 6 peppers
• 3/4 C Onion, diced small
• 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Smoky Paprika
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1/2 C Quinoa, rinsed
• 1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1/3 C Water
• 2 C Cooked Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Roast the Peppers and Potatoes:

1. Set one oven rack to the top of the oven and one on the middle rack. Preheat oven to broil. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tsp of coconut oil and chili powder. Spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make one slit in each of the poblanos from the stem to tip (the seeds will be removed after roasting). Arrange evenly on the second parchment lined baking sheet. Place the poblanos on the top rack and potatoes on the middle rack.
3. Using tongs, turn the poblanos about every two minutes for a total of about 8-9 minutes, to get them nice and charred on each side. Remove from oven and place in a covered container to steam for about 10 minutes (this makes them easier to peel). Lower the oven temperature to 450F (232C) and continue roasting the potatoes for and additional 12-14 minutes. They should be fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside. Lower oven temperature to 350F (180C).
4. Once the peppers are steamed, carefully peel the skins off the peppers, working the seeds out with a little bit of running water and a gentle knife keeping the peppers in tact as best you can. Pat dry and set aside.

For the Stuffing:

1. In a medium sauce pot, add the remaining 2 tsp of coconut oil and heat on medium until shimmering. Add the onion and saute’ on medium low for about 5-6 minutes or until softened. Add the sea salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic salt and stir for about 1 minute or until spices are fragrant. Stir in the quinoa, tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer, place the lid on and cook for 15 minutes on low. Uncover, and stir in the black beans and sweet potatoes. Taste for seasoning adjustment and allow to set for about 10 minutes, without the lid on, before stuffing the peppers.

To Assemble:

 

1. Spray a large casserole dish with pan spray. Carefully stuff each pepper with quinoa mixture. Bake, uncovered in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.

As far as the stuffing goes, prepping this the day before helps to save a lot of work and time for yourself when finishing the meal. The quinoa is a nourishing, p last-based protein with a very mild flavor and easy texture, so it’s a great add-in with the roasted sweet potatoes! This meal may be a lot of effort and time, but it is SO worth it!