Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers

I have always been a fan of Mexican food. It’s fun, colorful and happy. But the high sodium and high fat cheeses, sauces and meats I can do without. We took a trip to Tucson in September and hubby was looking forward to eating Sonoran-style Mexican food. I, on the other hand, was simply hoping there would be some vegetarian options on the menus. To my delight, every restaurant we ate at had a few honest to goodness whole food plant based entrees! One of the restaurants at Hacienda Del Sol resort where we stayed, had two delicioso plant based meals. This post will feature one of them which was a stuffed pepper dish. Now while I didn’t exactly ask for the recipe, I payed close attention to what it was I was eating and came up with a pretty close match. Because I cannot recall the exact name of the entrée I am calling it Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers.

Ingredients

• 4 poblano peppers
• 2 cups cooked couscous
• 1 can rinsed black beans (reduced salt or salt free)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 chopped jalapeño pepper
• 16 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Fat free shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Note: If using fat free cheese keep in mind it is not whole food or plant based.  It has a fair amount of sodium (280 mg. sodium / 1/4 cup). Because the fat is removed it is resistant to melting and tends to scorch in the oven.

Tip: Thoroughly rinsing canned goods removes 50% of the added salt.

Directions

1. Grill or roast the peppers until they are soft. Place the charred and hot peppers in a large plastic zip lock bag, close tightly and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove the outer skin as this can be difficult to digest. Personally, I keep the skin on for added fiber and nutrients. The grilling or roasting process chars the peppers which expresses their flavor.
2. Make a slit in the peppers and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Wear gloves to avoid contact with capsaicin which is the chemical that makes peppers hot. The capsaicin is not on the seeds but on the white fleshy innards.
3. Mix the couscous, black beans, corn, minced jalapeno pepper and black pepper together. Stuff the peppers.
4. Spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Line up the peppers over the sauce. Top with salsa. If you are adding the cheese do so the last 10 minutes of baking.
5. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.

A Deep Dive at the Health Benefits

Everything about this meal speaks health. But lets take a closer look at the star ingredient – poblano pepper. Poblano peppers are a great source of insoluble fiber which supports gut health by promoting easier passage of stool. But they are an excellent source of soluble fiber as well. Soluble means dissolves in water. So the fiber dissolves in water to form a gel. The gel binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and exits the body in the stool. This prevents it from entering the blood stream. So how about that? A poblano pepper can control cholesterol. Another serving please!

Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, has anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to fight off cancer cells. Yes, you read that correctly. Capsaicin has been shown to alter the expression of several genes involved in cancer cell survival, growth and metastasis. ¹ Poblano peppers are mild and therefore have much less capsaicin then, say a habanero or ghost pepper, but there is still enough to make a difference.

Poblano peppers are stocked with vitamins A and C. They are very rich in potassium which is important in the regulation of blood pressure. They are very low in carbohydrates and have zero cholesterol. And if that wasn’t enough they are also rich in antioxidants.

I really hope you try and enjoy this recipe. I love comments. To the best of health – Diana

_{1 Anticancer Properties of Capsaicin Against Human Cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26976969/}