blissful eats with Tina Jeffers: poblanos with chorizo and goat cheese
Happy Cinco De Mayo! Being originally from California we are big on Mexican food. We don't usually wait for May 5th to celebrate with our favorite dishes, in our house you'll find a burrito or taco on our menu 2-3 times a week. I thought I'd take our favorite ingredients up a notch in honor of the holiday and came up with these stuffed poblanos. Smoky chorizo, creamy goat cheese and roasted chipotle sauce really elevate these from our everyday Mexican fare. I got the idea for the green sauce from Heidi Swanson. She used a slightly different version as a hummus topping, but it's great on eggs, quesadillas or even mixed into pasta. This recipe will leave you with leftovers but don't be afraid to experiment and find some great uses for it. If you are in a time pinch you can easily skip it, but it does add a little something extra in the flavor department.
You can easily prepare most of this dish ahead of time and just assemble everything the day you want to serve it. Roast the chiles and make the tomato sauce the day before and it can be ready for the oven in just a few minutes? If you are looking for more Cinco De Mayo fare be sure to check out my post for fruit salsa with wonton chips at scalingbackblog.com!
Poblanos with chorizo and goat cheese
Ingredients:
For the chipotle tomato sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1-28 ounce can of whole tomatoes (preferably fire- roasted)
- 1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce (or more if you like it hot!)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups water
For the chiles:
- 6 medium poblanos
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
For the green goo:
- 1 medium jalapeño ( if you don't like it too hot, take the ribs and seeds out)
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1/2 cup mixed herbs (I used a combination of chives and cilantro)
- 2/3 cup good quality olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
For the chipotle tomato sauce:
Heat the oil over medium heat, put the onion in the pan and sauté for a few minutes until soft and just starting to brown. Add the garlic, chipotle and spices and cook until the spices are nice and fragrant. Add the tomatoes and water and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Using an immersion blender puree the mixture until smooth.
For the green sauce:
Place the jalapeño, garlic and herbs in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine and then slowly add the olive oil until you get a nice smooth emulsion. Season and taste with salt and pepper
For the chiles:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roast poblanos directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner or under a broiler, turning often with tongs, until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub with a paper towel to remove skins, being careful not to tear flesh. Cut a slit down the side of each poblano from stem to tip. Remove seeds, leaving stem intact.
Cook the chorizo over medium heat until browned and cooked through about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to assemble. In a separate bowl, combine the corn with half the goat cheese, chives and salt.
Assemble:
In a heatproof baking dish cover the bottom of the dish with 1/2 the tomato sauce and place the chiles on top. Fill the bottom of the peppers with of the chorizo and then top with the goat cheese/corn mixture. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese on top of the chiles. Bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Top with the green sauce and serve.
