Chili Verde with Sausage and Butternut Squash

I'm always looking for ways to use the other half of that enormous butternut squash that's still in my fridge. Well, you know me and all things chili...throw in the kitchen sink. But this is a special one -chili verde. And it has three key ingredients that I absolutely love: tomatillos, sausage, and hominy. Let me be clear about something though, I had never cooked with hominy before I made this and I actually didn't even know what it was and always wondered. I thought it was a bean (??). But it's not. It's corn. It's like eating boiled corn nuts. I will never turn back.

Tomatillo Base
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
5 jalapenos - deveined and seeded to your own tolerance of hotness
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 white onion, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
olive oil
salt
1/2 cup cilantro

Chili
1 yellow onion roughly chopped
1 lb sausage meat out of the casing
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can of hominy, liquid included
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups diced butternut squash

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic and onion on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Broil until softened and slightly charred, turning once. Let cool to room temp. Put the cooled veggies in a blender temp and puree with the cilantro.

2. As the broiled veggies cool, heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up as you go. Spoon out most of the excess fat and add the garlic.

3. Add the blended tomatillo mixture, hominy (and liquid), cilantro, and squash. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender.

Mexican Baked Eggs

We're all in favor of 20 minute dinners. Let's face it, when you only have 20 minutes it's easy to opt for heating chicken nuggets or microwaving something from Trader Joe's. But I'd much rather have this. Eggs always save the day.

2 tbsp olive oil
3 thinly sliced poblanos (seeded and deveined)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomato
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
4 large eggs
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or chedder, jack, whatever
Cilantro and jalapeno - pinch of each

1. Preheat oven to 425. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron plan. Add the poblanos and garlic and cook for five minutes.

2. Stir in tomatoes and oregano and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

3. Crack eggs into the sauce and top with cheese.

4. Bake for 12 minutes.

Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Slaw

See what I mean? Tacos. The best part is that this was the leftover chicken from two nights earlier and the rest of the cabbage from the Vietnamese Pork Salad. This isn't a recipe but we loved it so I'm putting it in to remind myself. Lazy dinner and emptying out the fridge...yessss.

Spice rubbed chicken thighs (or any leftover chicken)
Handful of shredded cheese (mexican blend or cheddar or jack)
1 cup cole slaw mix
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (or more if you like it spicier)
Avocados, sliced if you have them

1. Combine the slaw, sour cream, and adobo. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the chicken and set aside. Heat the tortillas and melt the cheese in them. Add chicken, slaw, and avocado. That's it!!

Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Jalapeno Guac

We eat tacos all. the. time. What else would I do with all of that leftover chicken? But because we have them, ahem, at least once a week, I try to change them up as much as possible...which includes serving them tortilla-less.

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper
Enough kale or other greens for a salad
1 cup or more of black beans
1 cup or more of corn
1 cup or more of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp dijon mustard
2 avocados
2 - 3 jalapenos, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons of sour cream or plain yogurt (if you have it)

1. Combine the chili powder through the salt and pepper and rub thoroughly into the chicken thighs. Given them 30 mins if you have it, otherwise, do everything else before you grill them.

2. To make the salad dressing, combine the olive oil thorugh the mustard to make your dressing, or use store bought dressing if you have it.

3. To make the salad, combine the kale, beans, corn, tomatoes and dress salad.

4. To make the guacamole, combine avocados, jalapenos, lime juice, and sour cream/yogurt and salt & pepper.

5. Grill the chicken and serve over the salad with guac on the side.

Arroz con Pollo with Avocado-Pea Salsa

This is a one pot wonder from Food & Wine that takes only an hour. It's a good Sunday night dinner and there's leftovers for lunch and more dinners during the week. It includes both wine and beer - a really wholesome meal. I won't judge if you want to round it off with a margarita or two...you gotta cover all the bases.

Arroz con Pollo

2 tbsp olive oil
One chicken cut into pieces (or, a couple of thighs, breasts, and legs)
1 onion, minced
2 serrano chilis or jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 plum tomatoes, cored and finely diced (or a 14oz can of crushed tomato)
1 tsp ground achiote (if you can find it)
1/2 tsp cumin
Pinch of saffron
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup light beer
2 cups rice (uncooked)

Avocado-Pea Salsa

1 cup peas
1 small red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
3 avocados finely diced
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a very large dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the oil skin side down first until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add the onion, chilis, and garlic to the pot with a little salt and pepper and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes, achiote, cumin, and saffron and cook until the tomatoes start to break down.

3. Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced. Add stock and beer and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken into the rice and bake uncovered in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and chicken cooked through.

4. While the chicken and rice are in the oven, blanch the peas in a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Drain under cold water. Mix the onion, lime juice and salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 mins and then mix in the avocados and peas.

5. Remove the chicken from the pot when done. Fluff the rice and serve with chicken and salsa on top.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup comes from Ree Drummond. Do you ever watch the Pioneer Woman on the Food Network? I swear, this woman is a whole lot of perfection. Always smiling, so easy going, and the food! All on an isolated ranch with a cowboy husband and a handful of kids...who she home schools, by the way. Not sure how this woman pulls it off. I tried her tortilla soup last week and it was delicious - it took us a few days to eat and that was ok with us!

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin 
1 teaspoon chili powder 
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 tsp salt 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 cup diced onion 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel tomatoes and green chilies 
3 tbsp tomato paste 
5-6 cups chicken broth 
1 can black beans, drained 
3 tbsp cornmeal 
4 whole corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
1 avocado
Sour cream
Cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

2. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

4. Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

5. Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

6. Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream and diced avocado.

Chicken and Veggie Chilaquiles with Poblano Avocado Cream

I love to make chilaquiles because it's a delicious use of leftover meat and vegetables. This 'Mexican lasagna' is a multi-layer flavor extravaganza. I made this tonight with what I had in the fridge and included this new addition of the avocado and poblano cream is based on one of my favorite restaurant meals ever - Besito's Budin de Mariscos with crab and shrimp. On that note, you can pretty much substitute any ingredient in this dish - seafood, veggies, even use corn tortillas instead of flour.

Chilaquiles
1 chicken breast, shredded
1 cup of your favorite salsa (just please friends, no Tostitos)
1/2 package of shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 zucchini, grated and squeezed dry through a paper towel (just make sure its of decent quality)
1 cup of kale, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 mushrooms, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Poblano Avocado Cream
2 poblano peppers
1 jalapeno, de-seeded, de-veined
1/3 cup sour cream
2 avocados
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Roast the poblanos for about 20 minutes (turn once half way through) or until they start to blister and get soft. Once they cool, remove the stem and all seeds. Turn oven down to 375.

3. Saute the onion and garlic on medium with a bit of olive oil until onions soften. Add the kale and stir frequently until the kale softens. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

4. In the same pan, saute the mushrooms and set aside. Add the chicken and 3/4 of the salsa. Let it simmer to evaporate some of the juices. Turn off the heat.

5. Spray a deep dish (one you would use for lasagna) with baking spray. Spoon a bit of salsa on the bottom of the dish just to cover. Put down a layer of tortillas. Add some of the chicken mixture to form a layer. Add the mushrooms and then sprinkle some cheese over. Lay more tortillas on top, then more chicken, then the zucchini, and more cheese. Lay more tortillas, more chicken if you have it, then the kale mixture and a little cheese. Lay a final layer of tortillas and spoon the rest of the salsa on top (this will prevent the top layer from getting hard). Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top (and a little extra if you want!). Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins.

6. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add all of the cream ingredients with a good bit of salt and pepper.

7. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the avocado cream on the plate and swirl it with a spoon to spread it out in an even layer/circle on the plate. Serve the chilaquiles on top.

Rice and Bean Salad with Lime Dressing

Ok, so maybe not as enticing as a burrito or a plate of cheesy enchis. But this salad is delicious and totally guilt free. I've gotten in the habit of making large grainy salads on the weekends that I can eat for lunch throughout the work week. This is a great one. Cheap, easy and tasty.

1 cup of brown rice, barley or farro
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 can of black beans, rinsed
1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice to a boil in the broth. Turn down to low and simmer for 30-40 mins or until broth is absorbed and rice is tender. Take off the heat and let cool.

2. Add the beans through the tomatoes to the rice and mix well.

3. Mix the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and pour over the rice and beans. Stir well. Will last pretty much as long as you need it to in the fridge (within reason).

Homemade Chorizo - No Meat Grinder Needed!!

I like to make chorizo tacos but the pre-cooked chorizo links that I get at my grocery store often get dried out when I cook it with other ingredients. So I prefer ground chorizo. On thing is, it's really tough to find. I found it once in Michigan and added it to my stuffing at Thanksgiving - that was GOOD. I like them in tacos, enchiladas, it's good with eggs! You can use this in so many ways and it's incredibly easy.

2 lbs ground pork
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 ancho chiles, rehydrated and seeded (you can find these at most grocery stores, whole)
2 guajillo chiles, rehydrated and seeded (harder to find, sub 2 small chipotles in adobo)
1 tsp salt
pepper
olive oil

1. Put the chiles in a food processor and pulse until pretty fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and run the processor until everything is mixed together well.

2. That's it!!!! Heat some olive oil in a large pan and cook until done!

Tomatillo-Cilantro Salsa

I recently got a tortilla press. Yes, that's right. Why buy a package of corn tortillas in a matter of 30 seconds when you can take an hour and make your own? People often joke with me about how I make things a little harder sometimes than they need to be. But it's usually (USUALLY) because I like the process of doing it! (Eg. making cheese.) Anyway, when I was little, Kel and I made homemade tortillas with the help of her mom for Spanish class one time. I haven't forgotten how yummy they were, hot off the pan with a little butter. We at them like pancakes.

This recipe isn't for tacos, it's for salsa. But it's great with tamales (mix in with some shredded chicken and cheese), with steak, on top of arepas, and on just about anything. It's great with scrambled eggs and cheese for a weekend breakfast. This recipe is from Food and Wine You can swap out peppers depending on what you have (I still have a huge pot of jalapenos coming in on my balcony). 

1/2 lb tomatillos - you can get these in most grocery stores, just look hard.
2 serrano chiles or a couple of jalapenos (stemmed and seeded - leave a few seeds in if you like it hot!)
1 medium white onion, cut into wedges
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut in half
1/2 cup cilantro (optional, I know some people can't stand it)
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 500 (I use the grill for this - more char and less heat in the house, especially in the summer!). If using oven, spread first 5 ingredients on a cookie sheet  and roast for 15 minutes, turning once or twice. If using grill, cut the veggies a little bigger so they don't fall through and roast until softish and charred.

2. Let it cool a little when it comes out of the oven. Throw everything in a blender with the cilantro and lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend until you have desired chunkiness.

Pork and Cheese Tamales

When I was in school in Boulder, I worked at the Africa Travel Center one summer. Going to the farmers market for lunch was often a highlight of my day. My favorite stop - the tamale cart. I'd never had them growing up, I didn't even know what they were! And since then, I don't really order them if I'm out for dinner and never thought that I could make them myself. But they're EASY! They just take a little bit of time. Our local grocery store sells the corn husks, Whole Foods also has them too. And all you need is masa - a corn flour that's usually sold in the Mexican section of the grocery store (or also available at Whole Foods). These are best using pulled pork - a great way to use leftover carnitas. I like to fill them with extra cheese. This recipe makes a load of them. Steam them all and freeze the leftovers. I often wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Take them out of the plastic and microwave for 1 minute and you have a great lunch or snack.

24 dried cornhusks

2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups corn
3 3/4 cups masa harina
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups shredded pork, with salsa mixed in
1 package of shredded cheese - mexican combo or chedder and jack

1. Place the corn husks in a large pot of boiling water, cover and remove from heat.

2. Combine the broth and the corn in a blender and blend until still a little chunky.

3. In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Add the broth mixture and the butter and stir until a dough forms.

4. Drain the husks but leave them in the pot with the lid on.

5. To assemble the tamales, take one husk from the pot and cut a thin strip from one edge (1/4 inch). Place the husk in front of you so that the cone end is away from you. Take a couple tablespoons of dough (about the size of a meatball) and roll it gently in your palms. Press the dough into the husk so that it's pressed out into a square on the flat edge of the husk, leaving an inch or so on each side without dough. You don't want it too thick. Place a couple spoons of the pork and a bit of cheese in the middle of the dough so that it extends the length of the dough vertically. Roll the dough so that it covers the filling and the husk forms a tube. Fold up the bottom of the husk twice and tie down with the strip you cut before making the tamale. The other end should be open.

5. When all of your tamales are rolled, put enough water in a large pot with a steamer so that the water reaches just below the steamer. Place the tamales vertically (open side UP!) on the steamer so that they're snug standing in the pot.

6. Cover and bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat so that the water is simmering and steaming the tamales. Steam for 45 minutes - but make sure your water doesn't completely evaporate. Keep the temperature lowish.

That's it!

Carnitas

We were having some friends over last week and I was trying to think of something that wouldn't have me in the kitchen the whole time they were here. So, I pulled out the glorious slow cooker that we got as a wedding present and decided it was the perfect time to try it out. My mom's big into her slow cooker and I have to be honest, I never felt the need or desire for one until lately. The idea of throwing everything into a pot and pressing a button sort of takes the fun out of cooking...unless you have a pork shoulder that only 8 hours of untouched braising could make into the most wonderful juicy meat for tacos. I'm sold. After turning the magic machine on before bed, I kept waking up throughout the night to the smell of slow-cooking pork. I almost needed to have it for breakfast. People with real houses whose bedrooms are upstairs and not located next to the kitchen: I have to say, you're really missing out on this one.

For the pork:

2.5 lb pork shoulder (can vary in size, doesn't really matter - the more the better!)
1 jalapeño
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 TB chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TB smoked paprika
A generous handful fresh oregano
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes - with roasted garlic is good, fire roasted even better.
3/4 cup fresh or canned pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple juice (go to the Goya section of the store - buy a can)
1 chipotle in adobo for smokiness if you like.

For the tacos:
1 package of corn or flour tortillas - small ones for tacos (I actually prefer flour but Kel will kill me if she sees this)
2 avocados
2 limes
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced thinly
Cilantro
Tomatoes - diced
Queso blanco - crumbled, or shredded monterey jack

1. Put the jalapeno through the chipotle into a blender and blend until you have a smooth/smoothie consistency.

2. In a dutch oven or large cast iron pan, heat some oil. When good and hot, sear the pork on each side until you get a nice brown coating on the outside of all sides.

3. Remove the pork from the pan and place into the slow-cooker. Add all of the blended contents except for a cup or so into the slow cooker with the pork. The meat should be mostly covered. You can add a little water or broth if you need to - just want to make sure there's plenty of wet ingredients in there.

4. Turn the cooker on and let it do its magic - best overnight or before you go to work...8hrs if you can.

5. When pork is done, remove from the cooker and shred the pork with forks, it'll be very tender. Either put in a container and reheat later in a frying pan when you're ready to use it, or serve it up immediately. I like to use the sauce that was cooking with the pork and mix it in when reheating or to add extra flavor after it's shredded. If it's too fatty or if you want extra, use your reserves.

6. To make the guac, cut open the avocados and mash the insides with a fork in a small bowl. Squeeze half a lime (or a whole depending on taste) and season generously with salt and pepper.

7. About an hour before serving, place the sliced/shredded cabbage in a bowl and squeeze the juice of one lime in with it. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally to soften and flavor the cabbage.

8. Assemble your tacos with the pork, guac, sour cream if you have some, cabbage, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and anything else you love.

Spicy Flank Steak with Grilled Polenta

Flank steak is my favorite steak. You have to marinate it for a good long while and with the right ingredients. My mom ALWAYS used soy sauce and...vermouth. It may seem like an unlikely candidate for marinade but there was always a good stock of it in the house - for the martinis - and it adds a distinct flavor and helps tenderize the meat. I often throw the meat in a velcro bag with the marinade before heading off to work in the morning. By the evening, it's perfect!

This recipe is great because you can either grill the steak or do it in a pan, which actually works well. We had to resort to pan frying our steak this winter after Paddy went to flip some burgers one night and found our grill engulfed in flames in the backyard. But that's another story for another time...

The other part of this is polenta. I don't bother making it on the stove, I buy the tubes of it at the grocery store and it's great grilled or fried stovetop. I just recently got into it, it's effortless and it goes REALLY well with this steak. Don't skip it!!

Marinade:
1 TB vermouth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-4 cloves garlic crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
black pepper
1-2 lb flank steak

*marinate for at least one hour and better if marinated for the whole day

For the steak and polenta:
4 tsp canola oil, divided
salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tube of polenta cut into 8 slices
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup queso fresco (it's worth getting for this)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa


1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Combine 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, chili powder and pepper and rub evenly over the steak.

3. Put your stove fan on!! Add the steak to the pan and cook for 6 min. on each side or until desired temperature.

4. Remove from pan and let stand for 5 minutes with some foil over it.

5. Turn the heat down to medium and add some more oil to coat the pan if needed. Add the polenta slices and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes, until softish and slightly browned.

6. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices.

7. Serve the steak and polenta with slices of avocado and sprinkle with queso fresco and cilantro and a little salsa on the side.

Chicken Mole

That's Mole as in the sauce, not the rodent. And what makes this sauce incredible? CHOCOLATE. If you've never tried mole, you need to and making it is simple...once you get past the scariness of adding chocolate to your chicken.

2 tsp cumin
2 chicken breasts
1 TB olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 TB bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 tsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp orange zest
*flour tortillas, shredded jack and/or cheddar cheese, baby spinach (see #1)

1. You can prepare the chicken and use the sauce in a number of ways. Season the chicken breasts with 1 1/2 tsp cumin and salt and pepper. I like to either grill the breasts and then serve them sliced or cut the breasts into slices and cook in a skillet. (I like to roll the cooked slices in warm flour tortillas with mushrooms, cheese and baby spinach and serve the mole on top).

2. Add tomatoes, broth, chocolate, chipotle, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cumin to pan. Heat on medium until the chocolate chips are melted. Add the orange zest and season with salt.

3. Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth. Serve on top of chicken with a side of rice and veggies.

Shrimp & Cheese Stuffed Poblanos with Rice

Chiles Rellenos is probably my favorite Mexican meal. This is a great version and it's fast and easy to make.

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced
1 TB tomato paste
3 poblano peppers
1/2 lb shrimp
handful of mushrooms sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TB flour
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded queso blanco or Monterrey Jack
2 TB chopped cilantro

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and stir well. Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low.

2. Turn your broiler on high and place the poblanos into the oven. Keep an eye on them and turn as they begin to char. Cook until all sides are bubbly. When done, remove the poblanos and place them in a sealed ziplock bag for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Remove the poblanos from the bag and deskin them. Carefully cut the tops off and remove the seeds.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan to coat and then add the shrimp and mushrooms and cook until shrimp is done - about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside

5. Add the garlic and the red pepper to the pan and saute for about a minute. Add the flour and stir until it forms a paste with the oil.

6. Add the milk and stir for about a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. This should form a thick sauce. Add more cheese if you need to thicken it. When the cheese is melted, add the shrimp and cilantro and salt and pepper.

7. Scoop the cheese and shrimp mixture and fill each of the poblanos. Place on a lined cookie sheet and put back in the oven for about 2 minutes under the broiler.

8. Serve with rice.