Cheese and Whole Grain Stuffed (and Grilled) Poblanos

Summertime! Had to remind myself today that burgers and hot dogs aren’t the only things that can be tossed on a grill. I love (LOVE!) green chiles and the perfect green chile to stuff and grill is the poblano. Add some whole grains, some good cheese and lots of veggies and a terrific meal is on the table. You can sub out rice for the whole grains, you can add chicken or even chorizo if you want, but I really liked tasting everything just like this. You can actually make these the day before you want to grill and just keep them covered. Leftover filling? Consider that the most awesome grain salad your co-workers have ever seen!

Just a note: the picture may not show the peppers to scale, but good poblanos are about 6 inches long, so each stuffed pepper really is a meal for one.

Ingredients (serves 6):

½ cup quinoa rinsed (or rice)

½ cup farro, rinsed (or rice)

2 cups vegetable stock

2 large green onions, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1 large roasted red pepper from a jar, diced

½ cup corn kernels (from the cob or frozen)

1 cup Chihuahua cheese (or Monterey Jack), diced

Chopped cilantro and/or parsley, to your taste

Juice of ½ of a lime

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

4 large poblanos, slit down the side and seeds removed

Garnishes:

Salsa Verde

Mexican crema (or sour cream)

Parsley or cilantro

Squeeze of lime juice

Crumbly cheese of your choice, like Queso Fresco

Fresh red bell pepper, diced

Directions: Combine the rinsed farro and quinoa in a medium saucepan with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until the stock is absorbed-about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add the chopped green onions, minced garlic, green chiles, red pepper and corn to the farro/quinoa mixture and stir. Toss in the cheese, cilantro/parsley, lime juice, salt/pepper and pinch of sugar.

Holding one poblano in your non-dominant hand (I’m right handed, so that would be my left), use your fingertips to open the slit in the side of the pepper. Using your dominant hand (my right), take heaping teaspoonful of the filling and pack it into the pepper. You want it just full enough so that the pepper can almost close back around it. If you want, you can slip a toothpick or two through the ends of the peppers to help keep them closed.

Heat the grill to medium and carefully place the peppers on. Cook about 6 minutes, then turn to the other side and cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove to a platter and garnish away!