Recipe of the month

INGREDIENTS 

Portions: 4

• 4 poblano chillies (or a similar variety – Anaheim or even bell peppers work)
• 180g grated cheese
• 20g chopped fresh parsley, to serve

For the filling:

• 100ml vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 500g minced beef or pork
• Pinch of ground cumin
• 2 tbs of salt
• 1 tbs of ground black pepper
• 40g chopped fresh parsley

For the tomato sauce:

• 8-9 tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ onion, cut into 3 pieces
• 1 ½ tbs of salt
• 50ml vegetable sauce

METHOD

• First, make the filling. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the garlic, and after another minute, add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the minced meat and cook while moving it constantly to break up the meat and ensure that it cooks evenly. Lower the heat to avoid burning the meat, then add the cumin, salt, pepper and parsley and cook for a further 15 minutes until the meat has browned. Continue to cook until the meat juices have reduced by half. Set aside until needed.

• Char the chillies over a direct flame or with a blowtorch until the skins have blackened all over. When the chillies are cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Make a slit in each chili lengthways, just long enough to be able to stuff them. Carefully clean the inside, keeping the shape of the chillies as far as possible. Stuff the chillies with the filling mixture and seal them closed with a toothpick. Place the stuffed chillies on a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment paper.

• To make the sauce, blend the tomatoes, onion and salt together in a food processor or blender and then strain through a fine mesh sieve/strainer. Heat the oil in the saucepan over a high heat, then add the tomato mixture. Let it boil for about 5 minutes then add 500ml water and bring it back to the boil. Taste and add more salt if needed. Keep simmering on a low heat.

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Sprinkle the stuffed chillies with the cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the chillies have warmed through and the cheese has melted.

• Spoon the warm tomato sauce into a deep serving plate and nestle the stuffed chillies in the sauce. Scatter over the chopped parsley before serving.

Enjoy!