"Chorizo" stuffed Chile Rellenos

Ok, you could probably use the real deal here but I didn't!  I used a vegetarian chorizo made from seitan(high protein wheat gluten).  I've had other "chorizo" products made from soy but this is the best for this kind of dish.  I used a brand called Upton's Naturals, no gmo's and vegan.  So if you leave the cheese out of this the dish will be vegan.  I used some Manchengo cheese and a crumble of mango ginger cheese, the sweetness it added was wonderful with the smoky, spicy flavor from the chorizo.
Here's the link for Upton's: http://www.uptonsnaturals.com/products/

I served this with a tomato and avocado salad loaded with cilantro, post to follow!


makes 2
2 poblano peppers, charred

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 package Upton Naturals chorizo
1/4 cup quinoa
3 sundried tomatoes
2 TBS sundried tomato pesto
1 TBS coriander seed, cracked (optional)
smoked paprika (optional)
cheese, manchengo  (optional)
additional onion for baking pan (see below)*

Prepare the poblano to be stuffed: place on flame of gas burner and rotate until blackened on all sides.  When cool enough to handle peel as much of the charred skin away as possible.  Make a slit in on side of pepper to allow you to stuff them

Prepare quinoa: Place into pot with 3/4 cup water, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add chorizo after 3-4 minutes.  Cook for a couple minutes and add chopped sundried tomatoes and sundried tomato pesto.  After a couple minutes remove from heat.  Mix in quinoa and cracked coriander smoked paprika (approx 1/2 TBS).

Stuff poblanos: place a piece of manchengo cheese in the bottom of the pepper and then fill the pepper with the prepared stuffing.  Top with additional cheese.

Bake in a roasting pan on a bed of thinly sliced onions tossed with olive oil and smoked paprika.  Cover pan and bake on bottom of 500 oven for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes or until onions are nicely browned. 

*you can make these and just put them in the oven to heat through and until the cheese melts and leave out the onions from the roasting pan.