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Mexican


6 large, fresh poblano chiles (sometimes called \"pasilla\" chiles)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails removed
1/4 pound fresh scallops (if using large sea scallops, quarter them)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons fresh grated lime zest
2 medium sized fresh, red, ripe tomatoes, chopped, with juices
4 ounces cotija cheese (Mexican aged cow\'s milk cheese), crumbled
1 bunch fresh cilantro, tough stems removed, leaves chopped (reserve a few whole sprigs with leaves intact for garnish)
Grated Monterey Jack cheese, to taste





Broil or roast the chiles over a flame until skins blister, wrap in a tea towel or put in a paper grocery bag for 10 to 15 minutes to sweat the skins loose. Remove skins and open pepper on 1 side. Remove seeds but do not remove stems. Arrange the prepared chiles in a lightly oiled 9 by 13-inch glass nonstick baking dish.

Heat oil in a 10 to 12-inch skillet until hot. Add the onion and saute until translucent (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the rice and the cumin seeds. Toast the rice and cumin in the oil with the onions for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the rice to a boil and cover tightly. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 18 minutes, or until rice is cooked, but still a little firm to the bite. Do not overcook the rice. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the shrimp and the scallops and stir or toss to coat them with the butter. Keep the heat at medium-high and saute the seafood for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lime juice. Toss to coat. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After the rice has cooled a bit, put it in a large mixing bowl and fluff it with a fork. Add the shrimp and scallops, with the accumulated juices. Add the ground cumin, coriander seed, oregano, lime zest, chopped tomato with their juices, cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. Toss the mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently stuff the peppers with the rice and seafood mixture. Stuff them good and full! If there is any extra, let it spill over into the baking dish. Top the chiles with the Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the chiles are heated through and the cheese on top is melted. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Unrated