Baker by Nature

A Baking Blog by Ashley Manila

Cilantro Rice and Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers

A Latin-inspired twist on stuffed peppers! Earthy poblanos are flash broiled until tender, then stuffed full with healthy, hearty rice and beans. Topped off with a sprinkle of green onions, cilantro, and cotija cheese – an effortlessly awesome meatless meal! Oh! And an extra dash of hot sauce. Always. 

One of the greatest challenges about leaving the city and living in a small town is  the fact that there’s NO grocery store in our little village. In fact, there’s no grocery store even close! You have to get in a car and drive 20 minutes to reach the closest one. To me, that’s wild! When we were in Brooklyn there must have been at least 4 fully stocked food shops within a short walking distance. So yeah… I’m adjusting.

Since I don’t drive (yep…such a city girl), and I need my fresh food fix on the regular, I’ve come to love our Sunday farmers market even more than I already did when we were city folk. We’re lucky enough to live directly across the street from it, and the vendors have the most phenomenally fresh veggies! And fruits, flowers, meats, etc. But the veggies!!! They make me the happiest.

Last week I scored these gorgeous poblano peppers for just under 2 bucks (a steal, if you ask me!), and I basically skipped home with excitement. Stuffed poblano peppers were on my mind every hop of the way.

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I chose to stuff these peppers with a spicy mix of brown rice and red beans, and the combination did not disappoint. I cooked the rice very plain jane; on the stove top with water, a dash of salt, and oil. Easy. The beans I jazzed up with half an onion, some chopped garlic, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, and spiiiiices! Cumin and chili powder for life!

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Now. Let’s talk about the spice in this recipe! Are you a hot sauce fan? We LOVE spice over here, so I was thrilled to pop over to our local walmart and swipe up as many bottles of El Yucateco hot sauce I could get my hands on. They carry Red Habanero Sauce, Green Habanero Sauce, XXXtra Hot Kutbil-ik Sauce, and – the newest edition to their spicy little family – Black Label Reserve. I was in hot sauce heaven! A little inside tip – The new black label reserve is exclusive to Walmart stores, and after tasting it, I can 100% vouch it is worth seeking out! So spicy and full of flavor! Here’s a sneak peek of what the aisle looks like 😉

Healthy Habanero Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Also, some fun step-by-steps to hold your hand through this spicy pepper stuffing adventure!

First you’re going to slice your peppers in half! Please use gloves here… they’re hot! And burnt eyes are no fun.

Next you’re going to place the peppers on a baking sheet…

And BROIL them for about 10 minutes all together; 5 minutes per side…

Now the fun part! Time to stuff them with yummy rice and beans!!!

 And finally top them off with cheese, scallions, and cilantro!

Place the peppers on a large serving platter, drizzle with sour cream, and serve!!! Enjoy 🙂 xo

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Healthy Habanero Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients

  • 6 poblano peppers
  • 1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small white onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 plum tomatoes
  • (1) 15 oz. can of kidney beans
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons El Yucateco Red Habanero Hot Sauce, plus more for serving
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup Cotija cheese, for sprinkling
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, optional

Instructions

  1. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to a large pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Add rice, a pinch of salt and oil, if desired, then simmer on low according to package instructions.
  2. While the rice cooks, prepare the peppers. Slice them in half and remove the seeds and ribs. I advise doing this with cooking gloves if you have them, or even a piece of saran wrap wrapped around your fingertips. The pepper interiors are HOT! Set aside.
  3. Time to make the beans! Add oil to a small skillet and bring it to a simmer over medium-heat. Add onion, garlic, and tomatoes and cook until onions have softened; about 6 minutes. Add beans with juices and allow mixture to come to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened up. Add cumin, chili powder, and hot sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat.
  4. Once the rice has finished cooking, stir the rice into the bean mixture, mixing well to evenly combine.
  5. Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil for about 5 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 5-6 minutes more.
  6. Place the pepper halves skin side down in an oven safe serving dish, and spoon the filing into each half. You should have enough filling to generously stuff each pepper. Top with cheese and broil just to heat for about 2 minutes.
  7. Garnish with chopped scallions, cilantro, and sour cream (if using). Serve at once with extra hot sauce on the side!
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  9. These look incredible. Living here in San Diego I get a lot of Mexican, Latin and Cuban flavors. This sounds great and since I haven’t had a stuffed pepper in quite a while I will try this one out. LOVE the heat and spices myself. Thanks!

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