Days of Whine and Roses

Time to wait out the summer heat so I’ve been staying home working on recipes. Which is sometimes not so easy since it still involves the oven. I entered an online recipe contest which I love to do but it sure disheartening when you enter and enter and somehow you just seem to miss whatever the company is looking for or someone else simply has a better idea. 

Like they say about the lottery “if you don’t play, you can’t win”  so I keep trying and the odd are, once in a while you will win! Finally my perseverance paid off and I won  

The contest was sponsored by a company called Healthy Solutions Spice Blends and and they make seasoning which are low sodium and have natural ingredients. Pretty good stuff. They have all kinds of spices blends from shrimp scampi to the one I used which was a chili and taco seasoning blend.(You can use substitute taco seasoning, if you don’t want to use thiers)  I created a recipe using riced cauliflower which my husband and I just discovered and poblano peppers. The recipe is pretty easy and can be made ahead of time and then cooked whenever you want. If you want to check out the spices go to

https://spiceblends.com/

Chicken and Riced Cauliflower Stuffed Poblanos

6 medium poblano peppers, roasted (skins and membranes removed)*
2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower**
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced sweet onion
2 cloves minced garlic 
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
¾ cup salsa
2 tablespoons Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Authentic Chili/Tacos mix
4 oz cream cheese, chopped
8 oz shredded Pepper Jack cheese, divided
¼ cup cilantro, finely diced

Preheat the broiler to 450 degrees

Saute onion over medium heat, in olive oil until tender. 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add shredded chicken, salsa and HSSB Chili/Taco seasoning. Continue to cook until heated through. Reduce heat and add cream cheeses and 4 oz Pepper Jack cheese  until melted. Remove from heat and add cauliflower and cilantro. Stuff peppers with mixture and cook 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until top of peppers start to brown. Cover peppers with remaining cheese and cook 5 minutes longer. Serve hot with additional salsa and sour cream.

To roast the poblanos

*Arrange the poblanos on a baking sheet. Position the pan 4-6 inches under the broiler. Cook until charred, turning the peppers every few minutes until charred on all sides, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes and then peel the skin from the peppers. Gently cut peppers down the center and remove seeds and membranes. (Allow tops to remain, if desired) Place peppers in oven safe pan. (This step can be done a day ahead of time)  
Riced cauliflower

**Cut cauliflower flowerettes into 2-3 inch pieces. Place in a food processor and process until the size of rice. Place cauliflower in a skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp tender.

This recipe can be prepared ahead of time for a healthy, one dish meal your whole family will love. The riced cauliflower absorbs the flavor of the spice packet for a hearty flavorful lunch or dinner and low calorie, too.