Polenta-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Not only was this the first time I have ever had polenta, but it was also the first time I have ever even heard of polenta! Wikipedia defines polenta as "coarsely or finely ground yellow or white cornmeal used as a foodstuff." It had a similar texture to grits, and with the corn mixed in, it reminded us of cream of corn. It was really good!

The recipe was very easy to follow. I don't really have any side tips to give you. Just follow the directions and you'll be fine! The only thing I will say is to be careful when adding the polenta to the boiling water, because if you add too much at a time then it will clump up. I actually had trouble finding polenta in the grocery store. I got the recipe from Sara, so I asked her where I could find polenta, when she actually explained that it can also be called corn meal. So, because I couldn't find polenta, I got Blue Ribbon Fine Ground Stone Ground Corn Meal and that worked out perfect.

I also had a few other substitutions... the grocery store was out of poblano peppers, so I got green bell peppers instead. I also was unable to find some goat cheese, but looked online and found out that cream cheese can be used as a substitution for goat cheese. So, had to get a few different ingredients from what is listed, but that didn't cause any problems! Everything still worked out just fine!

The dish had a great flavor to it! The polenta, corn and cheese mixture was really tasty, and the sauce was delicious! The cinnamon added a great flavor overall to the meal. I wouldn't normally think to pair cinnamon with tomatoes and onions, but it provided a very unique flavor - very yummy!

I would say this week's vegetarian dinner was a success! Enjoy!

Polenta-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Hands-On Time: 25 minutes  Total time: 35 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

4 plum tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup instant polenta
1 10-ounce package frozen corn
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (2 ounces)
4 scallions, sliced

1. Heat broiler. On a rimmed broilerproof baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, onion, and oil; turn the tomatoes cut-side down. Add the peppers, cut-side down.
2. Broil until tender and charred, stirring the onions and turning the tomatoes and peppers halfway through, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 400°F. In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, onion, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Spread half the sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the peppers in the dish, cut-side up.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the corn, cheese, and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions.
5. Divide the polenta among peppers. Top with the remaining sauce and bake until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions before serving.