This yummy vegetarian fall side dish (or main course) is a lovely mix of savory, velvety filling in a charred pepper that offers some bite and a bit of spice. Topped with walnuts and pepita crema, it’s a must try.
Ingredients
Pepita Crema
- 1 cup pepita seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup cilantro with stems
Stuffed Peppers
- 3-4 pasilla or poblano peppers, halved, seeds removed
- 1 kabocha squash
- 1/3 cup goat cheese
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Shredded cashew nut cheese or cheese of your choice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- First, soak your pepitas in water overnight.
- Half or quarter the squash. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix around so every piece is covered with the oil and seasoning. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves to the baking tray with the squash. Bake for 45 min at 375, or until squash is soft and fork slides in easily. You will want to remove the garlic cloves after about 20 minutes but the squash will take the full time. Let the squash cool and remove the garlic form the peels.
- Char the peppers lightly over your gas flame until skin is a bit blistered on all sides. I like to leave the skin on but if you prefer to remove it, you’ll want to char them until thoroughly blackened, place in a paper bag to steam for 10 minutes, cool, then remove the skins. They should peel right off. I think leaving the skins on supports the peppers when stuffing them and the char gives an added layer of flavor depth to the dish. Use your own preference here. Slice in half and remove the seeds. Place into a baking dish cut side up.
- While the squash cools, toast the cumin seeds in a pan for about 1-2 minutes until they are fragrant. Place in a blender or food processor with the garlic clove, salt, lime juice, cilantro, water, and pepita seeds. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add more liquid if needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
- Once the squash is cooled, use an ice cream scoop to remove the meat and place it into a blender or food processor. Add the chicken stock (a little at first and then more to desired consistency) goat cheese, roasted garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and a good glue of olive oil for that velvety texture. Blend until smooth, adjusting the liquid content as you go so it stays smooth and creamy. If it gets to dry or clumpy, add more stock or olive oil.
- I use a Ziplock bag as a piping bag to fill the pepper as it keeps things neat and allows me to fill every nook and cranny of the pepper. Fill each pepper with the squash mixture. Top with the shredded cheese of your choice. Bake for about 35 minutes at 375 or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, stick under the broiler if you’d like the tops nicely browned. Remove from oven and let them cool.
- When you are ready to serve, plate each pepper and top with the crema and chopped walnuts. I add a squeeze of lime and bit of chopped cilantro, but only if you desire.
