Feeding Friendship: Quinoa-Stuffed Poblanos

I photographed three different recipes with peppers before deciding to share this one.  This round was easy for me because I cook a lot of peppers with serranos and chipotles my favorite on the spicy side and red bell pepper popping up in many dishes both cooked and raw.  I've tried several recipes for stuffed (green bell) peppers in the past with modest success.  While the filling is usually decent, I didn't really get the point of putting it in an unwieldy pepper that was difficult to cut and invariably separated from the filling.  I have a specific memory of trying to cut into a still crunch pepper with a dull table knife and flipping the whole thing onto the table.

When I first saw this recipe from Foodie Bride, I knew it would be superior to it's run-of-the-mill breatheren.  First, it used a flavorful poblano which lent flavor to the filling; plus the poblano is roasted and the skin removed so it is easy to cut into and eat along with the filling. As a bonus, it's vegetarian, which is how we eat most nights, but has good protein from the quinoa.  I'm so glad I took a chance on the stuffed peppers because it was fantastic!  I followed the recipe as written except that I substituted feta for the queso fresco because I find it more flavorful and I used the last of my salsa ranchero instead of the grilled Romesco (which I'm sure would be delicious, but I'm lazy and the salsa ranchero was there).  The mild flavor of the roasted poblanos gave just a bit of a kick and I'm thinking I might like to try them with some other fillings.  Does anybody have a favorite stuffed pepper filling?

Tex-Mex Brunch

Breakfast tacos are to Texas what bagels are to New York - a filling (and often delicious) on the go breakfast, available just about everywhere.  Migas are a lesser-known breakfast staple in these parts, and although they require a plate, are just as quick and delicious.  Ugly but satisfying, migas are a way to use up stale tortillas by scrambling them in salsa and eggs.  You really don't need a recipe to make migas, but here is my version which keeps some tortillas crisp.  You can, as many restaurants do, cover them in a heavy layer of cheese and serve them with refried beans and more tortillas, but you might have to go back to bed after brunch.

Migas

serves 2

1/2 onion, chopped

4 oz. turkey chorizo

4 corn tortillas

4 eggs

1 cup salsa ranchero (recipe here)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup grated queso fresco (or Monterrey jack)

2 tsp. canola oil

pickled jalapenos, as desired

1. Cut tortillas in half and then into half-inch strips.  Bake at 300 until crisp.

2. Saute onion in oil until just translucent, then add chorizo and cook through.

3. Add 2/3 of the tortilla strips and the salsa to the pan and cook until the tortillas are softened.

4.  Add the eggs and remaining tortilla chips, folding occasionally.

5. Just before the eggs are set, stir in cilantro and cheese.

6. Serve topped with as many pickled jalapenos as desired.

Huevos Rancheros

I've made quite a few variations on huevos rancheros.  My quickest and easiest version is a heated can of Goya black beans in sauce, warmed tortillas, sunny side up eggs, and herdez salsa verde.  All done in about 5 minutes.  This version, from Rick Bayless, is a bit more complicated, but not much. I cooked the black beans from scratch, but they never reached the degree of tenderness you get with the canned beans.  Any suggestions?

Nevertheless, I persevered and made them into chunky refried beans.  The ranchero sauce was much easier.  Just toss a can of charred tomatoes, 1/2 an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and chipotles in adobo to taste into a blender.  When it is thoroughly combined, cook it down for about 5 minutes to thicken while you cook your eggs.  Plate the whole mess on top of some tortillas and your ready to go with dinner or a very hearty breakfast.