Stuffed Poblanos

Simply put, I adore Mexican food. Sadly, though, there are few good Mexican joints in Baltimore. In fact, I’ve only had Mexican once in the 15 months I've lived in this city. Sad, indeed.

Back in NYC, there are tons of great Mexican places, and a few that my mom – a fellow Mexican food aficionado – and I particularly loved:

· Mexicana Mama in the West Village, which my mom and I simultaneously loved and hated: loved for the awesome food (particularly the chiles rellenos and guacamole) and our favorite bored waiter, hated for the fact that it was incredibly tiny so all the tables touched one another and therefore your neighbors were privy to your conversations.

· El Maguey y La Tuna in the LES – I used to live a few blocks away from it and used to frequent it with my friends John and Kristen, who also lived in the neighborhood. The vibe is great – it feels like you’re in someone’s house – and their chiles rellenos, along with everything else on the menu, are insanely good. So are their cheapie cheap pitchers of margs and sangria. I took my parents there on July 4^th a few years ago and my mom is hooked now.

· Pacifico in Boerum Hill – I used to live two doors down from this place, but that’s not the only reason I went there. Their tamales and chilaquiles are sooooooo good, but I’m not really sold on the rest of their menu (although my mom is). Their margaritas, however, are super tasty. The space is great, too – they have a huge outdoor patio and a fireplace inside. My mom still requests to go there when I’m back in NYC for a visit.

Anyway, now that I’ve shamelessly promoted these restaurants and my stomach is growling, let me get back to my point: there is a lack of good Mexican in Baltimore, which means that I need to make my own.

Two of my favorite dishes, as you may have gleaned, are chiles rellenos and veggie burritos. This recipe combines the two, and the union, although probably unholy, is certainly tasty.

Stuffed Poblanos
(serves 4)

¾ cup basmati rice
1 ¼ cups water

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium tomato, chopped (about ¾ cup)
½ cup chopped cilantro
2-3 scallions, chopped (about ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon cumin powder
1 ¼ teaspoons coriander powder
2 small green chilies or 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (if you like things spicy - definitely do this to taste)
¼ cup sour cream
1/3 cup yogurt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 medium-sized poblano peppers

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Wash rice in a large sieve under running water until the water runs clear. Bring the rice and water to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook covered until almost done, about 15 minutes. Let rice cool at least 20 minutes. (Rice can be cooked up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.)

Set oven to broil and place a rack in the top third of the oven.

Stir remaining ingredients (except for poblanos) into the rice.

Cut the top out of the pepper. Remove all seeds and ribs from the pepper and cap.

Stuff each poblano with the rice mixture, making sure to get the mixture into any crevices inside the pepper. Replace the caps and secure with skewers if necessary.

Broil for 6-7 minutes until the skin of the pepper is gently charred, then turn over and broil the other side for about 5 minutes. The pepper should be very charred in some spots and slightly charred all over.

Serve with roasted red pepper and corn salsa, tomatillo salsa, and guacamole.