NEW YORK CITY — Stuffed peppers are a great snack or even a meal.
As summer winds down, why not pick up some poblanos, which are in peak season right now, to make a spicy variation on traditional stuffed bell peppers.
Poblanos, a medium-sized dark-green pepper, have a heat level that is comparable to jalapenos, so they add a spicy kick without being overpowering.
The peppers are stuffed with a salty and creamy mixture of feta and corn, which provides a surprising sweetness to the dish.
The poblanos are the star of the dish, but they go well with spicy grilled chicken and smoky black beans, spiced with pasilla peppers, which are slightly milder than poblanos.
Cook this up, crack open a cold one and enjoy the last days of summer.
Here's how to make this tonight:
Ingredients (Serves 4)
4 poblano peppers, sliced in half, seeds removed
4 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup cooked sweet corn
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
½ lb. thinly sliced chicken breast
1 tsp. hot chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
For the beans:
2 large cans of black beans
¼ cup bacon or prosciutto
1 large dried pepper (pasilla, ancho or some other variety), seeds removed
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in the chili powder, cumin and some salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and as long as an hour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the poblanos with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place cut side up in a large oven pan.
3. Mix the feta, bread crumbs, garlic, corn, salt and pepper and some of the cilantro and drizzle in some olive oil until the mixture just comes together.
4. Stuff each pepper and then roast until the edges of the peppers blacken slightly and the bread crumbs brown — 15-20 minutes.
5. While the peppers are cooking, heat up a small pot with a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook until browned.
6. Then add the minced garlic and dried pepper and sauté about a minute, until fragrant. Add the beans and cook until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron grill pan on your stovetop. Grill the chicken until cooked through, turning only once, about 3-5 minutes per side.
8. Dig in.