Stuffed Poblanos

Oh, what a pain it is to make these Martha Stewart peppers, but they will be worth the pain.  I promise.  Serve with roasted cauliflower and margaritas for maximum happiness.

Start with some gorgeous poblanos.  Try to find peppers that will leave you with deep pockets to fill when you cut them in half.  The peppers that grow more squashed and flat will be difficult to stuff.

Now stuff them and thoroughly cheese them like so:

And bake until bubbly and scrum-diddly-umptious:

Stuffed Poblanos:

28 oz whole tomatoes in puree
1 jalapeño chile, minced
2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, whole
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and pepper
19 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
4 large poblanos, halved lengthwise, stems left intact, ribs and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 425.  In a blender, combine tomatoes, jalapeño, 1 cup of onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Puree and season with salt.  Pour sauce into a 9x13 dish, set aside.

Combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper.

Stuff poblano halves with bean mixture and place on top of sauce in baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover tightly with foil.

Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes.  Uncover and cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10-15 minutes more.  Let cool 10 minutes.


Roasted Cauliflower:

Toss one head of roasted cauliflower, cored and cut into florets, with a couple tablespoons high quality olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast at 450 until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.


Margaritas (please, I beg you, resist the urge to use tequila and a margarita mix.  just don't do it):

1 oz Jose Cuervo
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
2 oz fresh lime juice
simple syrup to taste (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil until sugar is dissolved)

Serve on the rocks in a salt rimmed glass with a lime wedge.