Stuffed

Since Lou’s jalapeno pepper plants have been producing an abundance of peppers, he’s been on a stuffed pepper kick lately. He found this groovy stand and has been roasting and grilling away. I’ve been the fortunate recipient of many tastings and although his sausage stuffing is pretty darn good, I’ve been asking for a vegetarian alternative.

Lou planned to make a batch of peppers today and he welcomed me (with open arms!) to supply a veggie filling. He was even willing to do the prepping, stuffing (and cooking) for me. Not a bad gig if you ask me! But as usual with Lou, I don’t get much advanced warning to deliver the goods and had to turn things around pretty quickly.

The e-mail came in 8:33 this morning, announcing that the peppers were “Cleaned and ready to fill. No pressure.” It wasn’t like I didn’t have anything else to do. In fact, I had a pesto making date with three other women to feed 500 kids at school! But when a Lou opportunity knocks, I’ve got to hustle! So I quickly created a creamy, cheesy polenta based filling, which oozed out of the jalapeno peppers as we baked them to a golden perfection.

Whether you stuff your peppers with sausage or go the veggie route, if you like spicy foods, this nifty tool isn’t a bad investment for football season. These stuffed peppers make an original finger food that can be served right from its holder. Maybe we can get Lou to share his recipe for the meat lovers. (Hint Hint)

Here’s my recipe for a dozen jalapeno peppers. I think some corn kernels would make a nice addition as well. The same goes for cilantro, which is always a good addition to a Southwestern based dish.

Thank you Lou for helping me with these peppers! And by the way, Happy Birthday to you!

Polenta Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Makes 12

12 jalapeno peppers, tops removed and hollowed out
4 ounces tube polenta
2 shallots, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons yellow pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground cumin (optional)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican 3 cheese)

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, shallots and yellow pepper. Season with salt, cumin and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the polenta until smooth for up to a minute. Add the cooked shallots, garlic and chees mix well. Stuff in hollowed out peppers and bake in a jalapeno pepper stand for about 20 minutes on 400 degrees until oozing.