Poblano Peppers stuffed with farro and cilantro cream sauce

This dish tastes smokey and has a gentle heat from the poblano peppers. The farro adds chewy texture and depth. Who needs meat?


Serves 6
400 degree oven

• 6  poblano peppers
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 cup of farro
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
•  1 cup grated cheese

Prepare the peppers 

If you want,  bell peppers can be used instead of poblanos.

1. Place the poblano peppers under the broiler to blister and char the skin. Turn the peppers frequently to char all sides.
2. When the peppers are blackened on all sides, remove them from the oven and place in a paper bag for 5 minutes. This makes peeling the peppers easier.
3. After the peppers have set for 5 minutes peel the blistered skin off
4. Cut a slit into the pepper clean the seeds and ribs out. Place the peppers in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cook the farro

Farro is a grain that can be used interchangeably with barley. Sometimes it can be ground to use in bread or pasta. I think it is a nice alternative to rice.

Farro grains

1. In a medium sized pot place the farro, chicken stock, and diced tomatoes.
2. Season with thyme, oregano, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper then bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes or until the farro is tender.

 

 

 

 

Prepare the filling while the farro cooks

1. In a pan heat olive oil and saute the onion, peppers, and celery.
2. When the vegetable soften, add the garlic.
3. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. 

 

Stuff the peppers

1. Mix the vegetable with the farro. Combine well.
2. Gently open the slit in the peppers and spoon the farro vegetable mixture into the peppers. Place the filled pepper back into the dish.
3. Sprinkle grated cheese over the peppers.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with cilantro cream sauce.

Cilantro Cream sauce

• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of one lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 1 cup of cilantro leaves, pile it high!
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic cloves.
2. Add the sour cream, cilantro, parsley.
3. Add lemon juice and zest
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eet smaakelijk!

Baking Bread

I've never been fearful in the kitchen, I cut my teeth on Julia Child's "The Art of French Cooking", however,  baking bread scared me. Bread dough seemed so mercurial, proof the yeast, knead the dough, watch the humidity. The process of making the dough consumed an entire day: punch the dough down, let it rest, set in a warm place to rise for 2 hours then repeat the process.

The result after hours of work and being tied to the house did not appeal to me; just one loaf of bread, maybe two. If I slaved in the kitchen multiple hours then I expected something more filling, like pot au feu, and awe inspiring, like caramel cake with a hazelnut dacquoise and Italian meringue. Then I purchased a bread machine and the process was demystified. Now everyday is fresh bread day at my house.

 You will find a variety of machines on the market. When I bought my first machine it made vertical loaves that insulted my sense of how bread should look. By the time I was ready to upgrade I knew enough about bread machines to make a more intelligent decision. Fortunately, the bread machine market had improved to offer better machines with usable features. My second bread machine came from Zojirushi. I consider it the king of bread machines because of its versatility and smart design. Here's what I like about it:

• Horizontal loaf up to a 2 lb loaf of bread
• Wheat and white cycle
• Personalized cycle
• Dough cycle, 2 hours
• Quick dough cycle, 45 minutes
• Beeps when it is time to add things to the dough (raisins, sun dried tomatoes, seeds, herbs)
• Timer for delayed start (best feature ever!)

Crockpot specials

     Crock pot meals require a certain finesse, in my opinion. I've had amazing success and dreadful inedible failures. Some food, like chili, is perfect for a crock pot and cold weather comfort foods are the epitome of crock pot meals.
     Tell me your crock pot tales. Check out the Recipes page and post your favorite recipe.

Porcupine balls

A ONE PAN WONDER  

  Time to start thinking about what to have for dinner - ugh.

I don't plan my evening meals every week. Usually, I check what is fresh and seasonal and then I plan a few meals. Sometimes I make something, like roast chicken, and reincarnate the meat into different dishes until my husband and the kids scream "No more chicken!" A stir-fry is a great way to use up the lone carrot, 1/2 an onion or pepper, and the odd broccoli crown. I like to prepare something the night before and finish it when I get home from work the next day. That makes  me feel like I saved time even though I stayed late in the kitchen to prepare today's meal.

      One of my favorite things to do is to have a single pan meal. Skillet lasagna, rice cooker chicken biriyani, Indonesian nasi, or porcupine balls taste good and free me up to do more things. These dishes please kids and my husbands refined palate.  Tonight we are having porcupine balls.