i'm stuffed!

mexican food is probably my favorite thing in the entire world to eat. growing up in the south and spending 6 years in texas introduced me to the life of loving everything spicy, hot, firey, and nose-blowing good. frank's red hot or chipotle flavored tabasco is the way to go. i put it on EVERYTHING: eggs, pizza, tofu, vegetables, mac and cheese, italian lasagna (that's right), rice, hot dogs, chicken, potatoes... the list could continue for days. this leads us to mexican food.

how many of you have had homemade stuffed poblano peppers? i'm not talking about the sausage and rice stuffed pepps that usually promote italian pride. i'm talking about poblano, jalapeno, or anaheim peppers with beans, onions, sour cream, and cheese. YUM. these peppers have been my favorite side dish for a mexican meal ever since i was first introduced to this delicious recipe. or course, i put my own twists on the original recipe. 

ingredients: 
- poblano peppers (can also use anaheim or jalapeno peppers if you are feeling daring)
- black beans (healthier substitute for re-fried beans)
- sour cream
- red onion
- SEASONINGS: cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, whatever you want!
- cheese (cheddar or pepper jack)

directions: 
- slice peppers sideways for maximum surface area (you can also cut the top off and stuff them like traditional peppers)
- bake for 10 minutes at 350 to soften peppers a bit.. or don't, your choice.
- mash beans and mix with onions, sour cream, little bit of cheese, and seasoning
- remove peppers from oven and stuff softened peppers with mixture and place cheese on top for melting
- bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350 or 375 or put them on the grill

homemade cottage cheese enchiladas (saving that for another blog post), rice, and the star of the show, stuffed poblano peppers

i encourage you to alter the recipe and make it your own.  there are no specific measurements. this is rachel ray and peri style cooking here; dash of this, a scoop of that. you can also incorporate additional ingredients, including: corn, black olives, lime/lemon juice, jalapenos, cilantro, even rice if you like your side dishes a bit more filling. and of course, for the final touch, top with hot sauce :) happy cooking!