adapted from Everyday Food, via Shutterbean

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in puree
1 minced jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed for less heat if desired
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, 2 whole, 1 minced
coarse salt, ground pepper
1 can (19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1 c shredded vegan pepper jack cheese (I used Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack, and all parts of the jalapeno)
1 tsp ground cumin
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 425F. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Puree until smooth. Season with salt. Pour the sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish and then set it aside.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup vegan cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin and 3/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, stuff the poblano chile halves with the bean mixture and place in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the poblano chiles with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake until the poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until the sauce thickens slightly and cheese is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I made this a few months ago, but am still behind on my posting. Sorry! I’m ashamed for keeping this secret for so long. This was such a big hit in our household, and next time I’ll double this recipe so that I can freeze one of them for later! The entire dish was devoured within 24 hours of coming out of the oven, the leftovers served over brown rice, per Shutterbean’s awesome suggestion. Even our baby loved it. So far she seems to have pretty good taste…
The recipe itself was really easy to execute (I do love an Everyday Food recipe), but waiting for these to come out of the oven was painful. Waiting for them to cool for that 10 minutes? TORTURE. It was a really simple adaptation to a vegan recipe as well- there are so many good vegan cheeses available now. Maybe next time I’d try the Daiya, which we just got at our market (it makes the best gooey macaroni and cheese!). But really this dish is not about the cheese… it’s about the sauce! The way the flavors combine! And beans are always a winner. I couldn’t find whole tomatoes in puree, but I used plain ol’ canned whole tomatoes, and it turned out just fine. Thanks again Shutterbean! xoxo.