Author Notes
Inspired by Alyssa Gorelick’s Quinoa-Stuffed Poblanos with Grilled Romesco Sauce published in Food and Wine, June 2012
Although I fully intended to stuff the poblanos with the quinoa mixture as the original recipe stated, laziness and simplicity prevailed as I diced the peppers and added them to the quinoa instead. Over time I’ve adapted the recipe by adding more quinoa, varying the cheese, replacing the walnuts with pumpkin seeds, and adding an easy vinaigrette. The result is a fiery quinoa dish with endless versatility: add greens and it becomes a main course salad. Spoon it over tortillas and add salsa for vegetarian tacos. Or, in keeping with the theme of simplicity, enjoy this recipe as a side dish.
—Cbmcleod
Ingredients
- Quinoa Ingredients
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6
Medium poblano chiles
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3
ears of corn in husks, soaked in water for 10 minutes
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Extra-virgin olive oil
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1 cup
red quinoa, rinsed and drained in a mesh strainer (or white, or a mixture of the two—whatever you have on hand is fine!)
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1 2/3 cups
water
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1/2 cup
pumpkin seeds, toasted
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1/2 cup
cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
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1/2 cup
queso fresco, crumbled (feta or goat cheese would also work)
-
Honey-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- Honey-Lime Vinaigrette Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
lime juice
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon
white wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon
honey
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1
clove of garlic, minced
Directions
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To grill the poblanos and corn:
Light grill. While grill heats, rub the poblanos with oil. Grill over high heat until poblanos are charred all over, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from grill and place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for at least 5 minutes. When heat cools to medium, grill corn until tender, turning every 5 minutes for approximately 15 – 20 minutes. Set corn aside to cool.
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To cook the quinoa:
Add the rinsed quinoa to a saucepan and turn heat to high. Allow some of the residual water to cook off, then add 1 2/3 cups water to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes. Let stand off of heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Then remove lid and fluff in pan with a fork.
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To make the vinaigrette:
While the quinoa cooks, combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
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To finish the poblanos and corn:
Use paper towels or a kitchen towel to rub the skin off of the poblanos. Remove the stems and the seeds, chop the peppers, and set aside in a mixing bowl.
Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Cut the kernels from the cobs and add them to the bowl of chopped poblano.
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Assemble the quinoa:
Mix the quinoa with the poblanos and corn. Add the pumpkin seeds, cilantro, queso fresco and vinaigrette and toss until all ingredients are well-combined. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve.
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