Poblano-and-Cheddar-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I have a huge 3″ binder filled with recipes that I’ve cut out from various newspapers and magazines. I usually clip the recipes thinking “oh, i’ll make that soon” but the recipes pile up and often don’t get made. Every once in a while I’ll flip through the binder looking for something new and will be pleasantly surprised to find that recipe that I clipped 5 years ago.

That was almost the case with this recipe . Except that it’s from Food & Wine from February 2006.

What drew me to this recipe was the interesting combination of ingredients and the mysterious origin of the recipe. The combination of smoky poblano peppers, portobello mushrooms and cheddar sounded delicious… but what culture origin is it from? I typically associate poblanos with Mexican cooking but don’t really think portobellos are big in Mexico. Not that the origin matters at all… this recipe was FANTASTIC.

Have I mentioned that the mushrooms are also stuffed with rice (I used brown) and baby spinach? Seriously, this dish has managed to combine so many of my favourite ingredients. AND it was easy to make. The recipe says about 1 hour total but I think with some clever multi-tasking (and reading the recipe through first) could significantly reduce the time. Also, I’m not totally sold on the fact that you have to cook the mushrooms before you stuff them. I’ve made plenty of stuffed mushroom recipes that omit this step and turn out fine. I did it this time around and wasn’t convinced that the extra cooking added anything to the mix. You may want to reduce the amount of poblanos you use OR make sure that not a single seed gets in. I was lazy about the seeds, not that there were SO many in my dish, less than 10. But I found the dish had a tad more heat than I was after. I was hoping for a more mellow smoky flavour instead of actual heat. Next time I’d maybe use 1 and a half poblanos or buy smaller ones or something.

This was a great, light vegetarian meal. I was kind of lazy when I made this and didn’t make a side dish to go along with it. I’m not sure what I would serve. Maybe some oven roasted carrots? Sauteed broccoli rabe? Green beans? But seriously, these are so good you don’t need a side.

ingredients

• 2 poblano chiles
• 4 jumbo portobello mushrooms (about 6 ounces each), stemmed
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

directions

1. Light a grill or preheat the broiler. Roast the poblanos over the grill or under the broiler, turning, until blackened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel, core and seed the poblanos then finely chop them.
2. Brush the portobello mushrooms with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the mushrooms over high heat, turning, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate, stem side down; let drain and cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a sieve and press out the liquid. In a bowl, mix the spinach with the rice, cheese, cilantro and poblanos. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°. Season the mushroom caps with salt and pepper. Spoon the rice mixture into the mushrooms, mounding it slightly. Transfer the mushrooms to a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature

(From Food & Wine)