Shrimp-Stuffed Poblanos with Cauliflower "Mexican Rice," Avocado-Cilantro Crema, and Cabbage-Radish Slaw

Roasted poblano peppers filled with a garlicky wild shrimp, tomato, and herb filling, topped with melted cheese, and served with a tomato-cumin cauliflower "Mexican rice," cool avocado-cilantro crema, and a crunchy cabbage-radish slaw.

Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 45 min · Total: 1 hr · Best in North America from late summer into early fall, when poblanos and tomatoes are at their peak · Best eaten: early evening

Ingredients

Stuffed poblanos

• 4 large poblano peppers

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• ½ onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano

• 1 Roma tomato, diced

• 1 lb wild shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into small pieces

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, and the juice of ½ lime

• ¾ cup shredded raw-milk Monterey Jack, or crumbled queso fresco or goat cheese

Cauliflower "Mexican rice"

• 1 large head cauliflower, riced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or lard

• ½ onion, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 1 cup puréed fresh tomato)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ¼ cup chicken bone broth

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• Fresh cilantro and lime

Avocado-cilantro crema

• 1 ripe avocado

• ¼ cup thick sheep's or goat's milk yogurt

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro

• Juice of 1 lime

• ¼ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• Water, to thin

Cabbage-radish slaw

• 2 cups finely shredded cabbage

• 5 radishes, thinly sliced

• Juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt

Method

1. Roast the poblanos. Char them over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until blistered all over, 6–8 minutes. Seal in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then gently peel off the skins. Cut a slit down one side of each and carefully remove the seeds, keeping the stems on.

2. Make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 4–5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, and oregano for 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook 2 minutes, then the shrimp and salt, and cook 2–3 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink. Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice.

3. Stuff and bake. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spoon the filling into the poblanos, set them in a baking dish, top with the cheese, and bake 12–15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the peppers are heated through.

4. Make the cauliflower rice. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 4 minutes, then add the garlic, tomato paste, and cumin and stir 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens. Add the cauliflower, broth, and salt and cook 6–8 minutes, until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Finish with cilantro and lime.

5. Make the crema. Blend everything until silky, adding water until spoonable.

6. Toss the slaw just before serving.

7. Plate. Spoon the cauliflower rice onto each plate, set a stuffed poblano on top, drizzle with avocado crema, and serve the slaw alongside.

Storage: Stuffed poblanos, up to 3 days refrigerated (reheat at 350°F for 15 minutes); cauliflower rice, up to 4 days; crema, 1 day (press wrap onto its surface).

Nourishment Notes

Wild shrimp — lean complete protein, selenium, iodine, B12, and astaxanthin.

Poblanos — vitamin C, beta-carotene, and mild capsaicin.

Tomato — lycopene, made more absorbable by cooking with oil.

Cauliflower and cabbage — glucosinolates and vitamin C.

Avocado — monounsaturated fats, potassium, and folate.

Radishes — vitamin C and glucosinolates.

Raw-milk cheese — calcium, K2, and protein.

For your cycle: This plate supports every phase. Shrimp's selenium and iodine support thyroid health, and the raw cabbage and radish slaw supports estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification.

Sourcing

• Shrimp — wild-caught U.S. Gulf, U.S. Atlantic, or Argentine red shrimp, with no added sodium tripolyphosphate

• Poblanos, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, avocados, cilantro, garlic, and limes — organic, from a farmers' market or Mexican grocer

• Cheese — raw-milk Monterey Jack from a farmstead creamery, organic queso fresco, or a soft farmstead goat cheese

• Sheep's or goat's milk yogurt — organic, plain, and full-fat; raw from a local dairy, or Bellwether Farms

• Tomato paste — organic, in glass, with no added sugar (Bionaturae and Jovial both make it)

• Chicken bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)

• Lard — from pasture-raised pigs, rendered at home or from a local farm

• Spices (cumin, Mexican oregano) — organic and non-irradiated

• Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass

• Baja Gold sea salt

— Anna aka Food Marshall