Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Stuffed Pablanos Recipe - Yummy and low carb!



Blogger: Amber Schamel

Never thought you’d get yummy and low carb in the same sentence, did ya?


With it being the first quarter of the year, a lot of folks have been focusing on eating healthier, and I admit that I’m one of them. I’ve taken on a low, okay, almost NO-carb diet to combat an overgrowth of candida. The problem with diets, is that you miss out on all the YUMMY food. 

So, one weekend as I was lamenting my food deprivation, my creative side kicked in and I experimented with a recipe. It turned out pretty good, so I thought I’d share it with you. 

Cheesy Pablanos  - A YUMMY Low Carb Mexican Dish

Ingredients:
1 C. Green lentils
2 C. Water
2 T. Butter
¼ C. of white Mexican queso (the kind that melts easily)
1 t. Garlic powder
½ t. Salt
2 Pablano Peppers
2 Slices of pork bacon (I use Applegate when I’m on a no-sugar diet, because the sugar content in the bacon is negligible.)
About ½ C. Salsa (homemade is best!)
Mozzarella cheese

 Directions:
*Soak the lentils overnight in enough water to cover them. This is an optional step, but it makes the lentils easier to digest.

Boil 2 C. of water in a pot. When it comes to a boil, add the lentils, butter, cheese and garlic powder. Let it cook for about an hour (time will vary based on elevation, etc, but generally about the same amount of time it takes for you to cook rice.) Stir occasionally to keep the cheese from scorching.
Meanwhile, wash the peppers, then cut off the top, and scrape out the seeds. When the lentils are done cooking, spoon the lentils inside the peppers, and lay them in a cake pan. Cover the stuffed peppers with salsa and mozzarella cheese, then place a slice of bacon on top. Cook at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bacon is cooked, and the pablano reaches desired softness.
I really enjoyed this recipe. Almost made me forget I was even on a diet! You can vary the spiciness of the dish by using hotter or milder salsa, or mixing some jalapenos in with the lentils.

Enjoy!

Amber Schamel is an author, homeschool graduate, and volunteer cook for the Buildings for Babies foundation. Keep up with Amber by following her on social media or on her website.
Twitter - @AmberSchamel https://twitter.com/AmberSchamel

9 comments:

  1. Sounds delicious, Amber! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Not something we would eat actually.

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    1. Good morning, Mary! How are things Down-Under? We've got 5 degrees and snow here in Colorado, USA.

      You know, I find it so interesting how different people's tastebuds vary. One person will give their right arm to eat a dish, but another would rather starve. LOL. My family loves Mexican food, but especially with more cheese. ;D

      What is one of your favorite recipes?

      Oh, as a note:
      For those that don't care for spicy, you can also use bell peppers instead of pablanos.

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  3. I tried making stuffed pablanos one time. The recipe I had required the pablanos to be charred and peeled so it would hold coating to fry (not a low cal recipe), but I didn't char the peppers well enough. Still good though. My favorite Tex-Mex dish!

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    1. Yep, that method takes a LONG time. We had a family visit us from El Salvador, and she taught me how to make Chili Rellenos the authentic way, and we char the peppers that way to get the skin off, but the whole recipe takes me 4 hours. Needless to say, it happens about once or twice a year. Usually for my dad's birthday since it's his favorite.

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  4. I love Mexican food and these stuffed peppers sound delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Amber.

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    1. No problem, Britney! I hope you enjoy them. They're good, even if you're not on a diet. :)

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  5. This sounds good, Amber. I like spicy foods more than I used to, especially when I'm dieting. They just seem more satisfying! Thanks!

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