I have been waited on hand and foot for almost two weeks now. Despite what fairy tale princesses might have you believe, it’s B-O-R-I-N-G.
I appreciate everything he’s lovingly done and still doing for me. Very much. But I’m antsy to get back into routine, to flex my creative kitchen muscles (or any muscles), to say: “I can do that,” instead of mumbling sheepishly: “Can you do this for me”.
Let’s talk boredom for a minute. It’s a funny emotion. It can drive you to do things you know you shouldn’t — overeat, spend money, jump on the couch and break it, or worse. I once read that a man committed robbery because he couldn’t think of anything better to do. I wasn’t quite that bored; only so inspired to make stuffed poblanos.
He initially thought he’d be home by mid-morning, so I planned for him to help with the recipe (i.e., do most of the work for me). He left a message saying he wouldn’t be home until 11:45 or so, and that I should serve leftovers instead of the peppers. Ha! Common sense was overruled by boredom and stubbornness: I wanted to prove I was capable.
The prep-heavy endeavor required much strength and willpower. Literally every last ounce, but I succeeded. Not that I deserve a pat on the back for it, though. Ultimately it was a dumb idea, probably a backward step toward healing. My shoulder, elbow and wrist screamed the rest of the day and into the next. I should’ve known better.
In spite of everything, I was still mildly proud. My stuffed poblanos were not only presentable looking, but also really, really great. Like a quick, hearty tamale in an edible husk with a spicy-sweet sauce.
It’s a time-intensive recipe that’s worth the work (at least for those not on the mend). Want to the have this for lunch or supper, but are strapped for time? You could easily make it a day in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Problem solved!
If you decide to taste test, tell me what you think! And if I don’t see you back here before Thursday, I wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving!
Stuffed Poblanos [serves 4, or 2 with leftovers]
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in puree
1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, minced
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves — 2 left whole, 1 minced
coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 can (19 oz) or 1 1/3 c freshly cooked black eyed peas, rinsed and well-drained
1 c corn kernels
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 c shredded Pepperjack cheese (Jarlsberg is a tasty swap)
1 t ground cumin
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs and seeds removed
1/2 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
sour cream, for serving (optional)
chopped cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 425° F.
In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeño, half the onions and the 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Taste and season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9 x 13″ baking dish; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine black eyed peas, corn, cornmeal, 1/2 c cheese, remaining onions, the minced garlic, cumin and 1/2 c water; season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with filling mixture; nestle into sauce in the baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 c cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool down 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges and, if desired, sour cream and/or cilantro.
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
Yay! I’m so glad you posted this recipe :) I’ve been waiting for it! Will try it soon
Happy Thanksgiving
xox
The picture of this dish just makes you want to hurry up and make this dish just to eat it lol. Looks amazing
Looks like a great antidote to typical Thanksgiving week food. We will give it a try and report back on how it goes.
I have totally spent time in the kitchen when I should have spent time convalescing. it’s been a lifelong problem for me. only I usually just make some kind of experimental dessert, I don’t do anything so productive as actually making dinner. Golly, my husband would love it if would stop making soy flour macarons all day and actually use a vegetable and some salt!! These look amazing, putting them on my to-do list! Happy T day!
“My shoulder, elbow and wrist screamed the rest of the day and into the next. I should’ve known better.”
Nah, you shouldn’t have. There’s an immense satisfaction in overcoming it, isn’t there?
These look absolutely wonderful; I have little doubt they were completely worth the effort.
Happy Thanksgiving to you Heather and your fiancé !
You can be proud of you indeed, the stuffed poblanos look terribly tempting [and it’s only 11.00 AM here…]
The stuffed poblanos look wonderful
Oh I love the sound of these! Poblanos are so hard to get hold of in the UK – but this dish seems worth the effort of trying to find them! Hope your arm is feeling better…
Aha – yet another idea for what to do with all those poblanos I roasted and froze at the end of summer. My dish would obviously not be quite so lovely as yours (those stems really add a little something)… but the flavors. Yum. And congrats on your new ezine gig! I know I’m a bit late to the party on that one — but my blog reading has been sparse at best!
Hi Heather,
Your uncle Scott and I are sitting here at Starbucks on Thanksgiving morning and he has just showed me your website. I love it! Such beautiful pictures. I look forward to exploring it more after I get home. I’m a budding cook and baker. Little experience but a lot of interest.
Can I ask which software you use to create your blog? I really like its simplicity and clean look. Very nice.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day.
Kind regards,
Rachel
@Eva, Dad & Sandy and @Stella: Has anyone tried them yet??!
@Rich: You know what, I’m going to go with you on this one. Sure I was sore, but darned if I didn’t do it all by my lonesome, AND made them look halfway decent.
@Vanille: Glad to be tempting friends around the world with my simple lunches! I’m craving some of your new-crop apricots…
@Cherine: Thanks for stopping by and the comment!
@Jeanne: I sincerely hope you come across a basket of big, shiny poblanos! Fingers crossed.
@Lo: Never thought of freezing the peppers. If you try this with defrosted poblanos, please let me know how they turn out. And believe me, a reader, no matter how often they come around, is a reader I’m happy to have!
@Rachel: What a thoughtful comment — thank you! I’m happy Scott introduced you to my blog, but more importantly that you enjoy it. To create my little piece of the blogosphere, I simply went to WordPress.com and registered a new blog (current theme is Neutra). The creation is pretty straight-forward, especially if you like to putz around and try new things on your own. Also, the 24/7 support crew is really speedy and helpful. Hope that gives you a little insight, and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! Let me know if there’s anything else you need.
I made these for dinner last weekend and we really enjoyed them. Great flavor combo, meatless, easy to prepare and looks great! This recipe is certainly a keeper. The only changes that I made were to substitute frozen corn and black eyed peas for the canned (they had been lurking in the freezer for a while) and gouda for the pepper jack. I also froze 2 meal sized portions in foil trays for a effortless dinner down the line. Thanks for another great recipe!