Short on cash, but not on appetite? I've been throwing together some pretty tasty meals at home that are easy, satisfying and cheap to make. I figure there's no harm in sharing some of what happens in my kitchen, maybe it'll help out in yours.
First up, a simple (and improv'd) stuffed poblano recipe.
- Step 1. Get some poblano peppers. A pack of 4 costs less than $2 at the International market. Cut a circle around the stem, pulling out the core. Rinse the peppers, inside and out, then place them on a baking sheet. Roast them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Step 2. Throw some brown rice in the rice cooker. Follow the directions for how to cook rice. It's fine if you end up with extra, just use it for something else like burritos or fried rice.
- Step 3. Chop up a half onion and whatever other veggies you want to use or have in the fridge. I used orange and yellow bell peppers, half a pepper for each color. Saute them with olive oil until they soften and get a little golden color to them.
- Step 5. Take out the peppers, let them cool a few minutes so you can handle them.
- Step 6. Mix about 2 cups of rice with the cooked veggies. Throw in about half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Season however you'd like. I just used salt and pepper.
- Step 7. Stuff the peppers by spooning the rice filling in while you hold the pepper. It's okay to overfill.
- Step 8. Plate the peppers. Top with a little salsa and sour cream. Drink a beer with it, it'll keep the spicy down.
I have a few more "Broke Food" posts coming up, but if you want me to make anything in particular (or want to send in a recipe) send an email to eatdrink@brightestyoungthings.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @BYTEatDrink.
God loves a cheerful giver.
yummm!
Yum! This looks delish...even at 10:31 am. Thanks
Totally going to try this out this weekend. Thanks Alex!
i love stuffed poblanos. i will sometimes just stuff them with queso fresco and serve it as a side dish to something. just stuff the peppers (while they're cold) with the cheese (it becomes crumbly) and put it in the over for 15-20 minutes.
i've also made a more hearty stuffed poblano by stuffing them with black beans and quinoa. just cook up the beans with some sauted onions and garlic, and then cook the quinoa like you would the rice. then stuff the peppers and add salsa or hot sauce at the end.
Love the queso fresco idea!
hope you'll be posting steak and chicken "broke food" soon!
I do stuffed poblanos differently: sliced in half lengthwise, then stuffed with sauteed onion & garlic, leftover roast chicken or ground meat, and cornbread, moistened with some broth. stuff the raw peppers, slather with olive oil and roast until the cornbread is crispy and the peppers are soft. I usually serve it with greek yogurt.
Do you have to peel the peppers when they are done cooking?
You do not. Sometimes people will cook a pepper directly over an open flame or over a broiler, torching the skin and thus making it easier to peel.
Here I just cooked long and low to make the peppers soft enough to eat, but still easy to handle. The 4th picture shows how they looked out of the oven.
Also, some pretty great tips in the comments on other ways to stuff the pepper. I'm seriously into the cornbread idea and the queso fresco.
I am taking notes. I usually stuff the raw peppers and then bake them. Will try this next time. Also, the cornbread chicken stuffing topped w/ yogurt sounds delish.
PS, Great Photos, Alex.
We made these on Saturday with Cubanelle peppers since there we couldn't locate poblanos at 9:30 at night. It worked out swell and is going in the recipie box.
Thanks again.
Eg- I'll try the Cubanelles!
looks so good and simple!