Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

I have this thing about recipes...I have a really hard time using them, specifically the part that obliges me to follow a specific list of steps and, particularly, instructions.  I like to just go free-form and use what I have, rather than try to shop for obscure ingredients or buy more food when I have plenty at home. This at times leads to great success, as with many Rachel Ray recipes--she's creative as all get out, but her recipes never seem to be tested or fully thought out, but rather hastily thrown together.  As a result, they often seem unbalanced, under-seasoned, or just plain incorrect.  Other times...well, we've had to throw out a few meals here and there. 

Usually, though, I'm much more comfortable just going AWOL and freestylin' it.  If I know I want to make something in particular, I'll usually browse a bunch of collected recipes online or in cookbooks, and then either write up my own with certain elements from each that I like, or just use the knowledge gained as inspiration while I go at it in the kitchen. 

These stuffed peppers, on the other hand, were a mere idea that was rounded out by whatever I found in the fridge.  I knew I wanted to do some sort of stuffed pepper or relleno, so I bought poblano peppers last time i was at the store.  I cooked up a bunch of brown rice earlier in the week (side note: i love keeping cooked rice in the fridge. You can use it for so much without having to cook & cool--stuffings, fried rices, rice salads, etc), so I knew that would be a component.  I had lots of miscellaneous veggies and greens in the fridge--zucchini, kale, mushrooms, carrots--and knew I could stuff a good number of them into a pepper. 

Despite the crappy camera phone's washed out colors and unappetizing tones, this turned out so good, I'm now writing a recipe for it.  It is one of those insanely healthy meals--mostly veggies, a good assortment of colorful veg, very little fat, whole grains--but the part i like is that it doesn't TASTE healthy at all!  Recipe after the jump. 


Tex-Mex Stuffed Poblanos
2 large poblano peppers
2 tsp veg oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (CSA!)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked chopped chicken
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp salsa, enchilada sauce, gazpacho, or bbq sauce
2 oz 2% pepper jack cheese, shredded or diced
1 oz 2% pepper jack cheese, for topping (optional)

1.  Roast peppers on a grill, broiler or over a gas burner until charred black all over, about 10 minutes.  Seal in a ziploc or tupperware for 10 minutes to steam, then peel charred skin away under running water (the steaming loosens the skin, and the water helps a messy job move along swiftly).  Slice peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs (unless you want a lot of heat).

2.  Heat oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat.  Add onion, zucchini and cumin; saute until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and kale (and whatever other veg you so desire), season and saute until kale is wilted, another 5-7 minutes. 

3.  Mix sauteed veggies, rice, chicken, cheese and sauce-of-choice in a medium bowl until combined; stir in tomatoes, then salt & pepper to taste.  Stuff mixture into pepper halves (they're delicate and slippery.  I found it best to lay them in a dish, then stuff into them, using the ones on either side to help prop each other up).Top with more cheese, if desired.

4.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until warmed through and browned on top.