Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto Stuffed Peppers (And, yes, that is my new penny bar!  Thanks for asking.)
I had originally planned on spending this week and next road tripping through California, Oregon, and Nevada with my husband to visit family.  I have 18 glorious days (in a row!) off of work.  But, something came up, and I needed to stay behind.  Oh well, at least I don't have to work, right?

My sister, Kristen, calls me up and invites me to go out on a Duffy Boat in the Long Beach Harbor on Saturday. Heck yeah!  I am kicking this "staycation" off right!  My spirits were high.  Slept in nice and late on Sunday, then headed to the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet to do a little recon on some catering equipment and bought myself a groovy sun hat (I'll need that for my summer vacay, won't I?) and a tortilla press.  Monday rolls around, and now I really feel like I'm on vacation.  But guess what?

Staycation=Everyone else still works during the week!

Hmph.  I guess I'll get some house chores out of the way.  I called up a coupla friends to see if they want to head to Hollywood to go see Jamie Kilstein perform his stand up, but no one could go out.  It was a school night, after all.  So I went by myself.  No biggie.  I enjoy alone time.  The show was fantastic.  It really was.  And, as much as I love me some Joe Rogan Experience, he really was a little mean to Jamie on the podcast today!  But I digress.

On to the stuffed chile peppers.  I scored a big bag of Pasilla Peppers for only $1 at the Downtown Anaheim Farmer's Market last week that needed to be used up.  Dan was gone, so I could make a dinner for myself, tonight, that I would love, and I know he would not appreciate.  Having the house to myself does have its perks.

Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto Stuffed Peppers
2 cups dry rice, prepared according to package instructions
1 cup Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto (recipe below)
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) black beans, rinsed
1 yellow onion, diced
5 or 6 Pasilla peppers (or any pepper, even bells!)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix together cooked rice, pesto, beans and onions.
Slice each pepper from tip to toe.  Carefully remove the core and seeds.
Stuff each pepper with a generous amount of the rice mixture.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers based on 5 peppers per recipe including the pesto.


Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto
1 cup raw hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 bunch cilantro
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons SriRacha (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and whirl away!  This recipe yields about 3 cups, only one of which you need for the rice, but it tastes great as a dipping sauce for taquitos, a salad dressing, on pasta, in a tofu scramble...

Spicy Cilantro Pepita Pesto (1 serving=1 tablespoon)




1 comment:

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2012 Copyright/Permissions/Disclaimers

All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni