With both of us being born and raised in the southwest, peppers are a staple in our kitchen. Among peppers, poblano reigns supreme. This recipe is a spin on chile rellenos and was a huge hit. We served this up with cilantro rice.
INGREDIENTS
Filling:
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 orange or red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 oz cream cheese
1 T lime juice
Sauce:
1 T olive oil
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 t cinnamon
2 poblanos
4 chicken thighs
1/2 t ground ancho chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS Roast poblanos until black. You can place under broiler and turn as skin blackens or blacken over the stove, turning with a pair of tongs. After peppers are blackened, place in plastic bag and let steam. This will make the skin easy to remove. After 5 minutes, skin and remove seeds. Cut poblanos in half lengthwise and set aside. Mix filling ingredients together and set aside. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan, add onion, cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add cherry tomatoes and cinnamon. Cook, occasionally stirring, until soft, around 10 minutes. Season ancho chicken thighs with ancho chile powder, salt and pepper. Cook on grill or grill pan until done. Assemble chicken: top each thigh with filling and then wrap one poblano section around the thigh. Place all thighs in greased baking pan and top with the 1/2 cup shredded machego cheese. Cook at 400 for 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook until cheese is browned (about 5 minutes). Serve with the tomato mixture spooned over the top.