Stuffed Poblanos and Caramel Apples...(Not Together Though!)

I've gotten back into the groove of cooking lately.  For awhile I was just making salads--good salads, with various toppings, assorted greens, different types of dressings and so on--but that got old fast.

Last night, however, I made stuffed poblano peppers and they were sure delicious!  A recipe in the March 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times inspired me but I made a lot of modifications.  Not only was it my first time stuffing a poblano but it was my first time eating one!  While I'm not a huge bell pepper fan (actually, I don't like them at all), I really liked the poblano!  It's very mild and, when broiled, has a buttery, soft texture.

Per the recipe's directions, I broiled the peppers for 15 minutes (but would probably do so for less time the next time I make this because they got almost too soft and tore easily) and then rubbed off the outer, charred layer of skin.  I removed the seeds and stuffed the peppers with a mushroom 'meat' filling, consisting of organic grape tomatoes, chipotles, onion, garlic and spices.

Let me clarify just a bit here.  The mushroom 'meat' to which I referred is not actually meat.  I shredded two portobello mushroom caps, which I then sauteed.  I am so used to roasting the caps whole, slicing them in strips or coarsely chopping them.  Never before have I shredded them but I absolutely LOVE the texture shredding gives--utterly soft, moist from the mushrooms' natural water content and, well, meat-like!  I'll definitely be shredding my mushrooms again!

Now for part two of this post: vegan caramel apples.  With fall in full swing, I thought it would be festive to make some caramel apples!  Very non-vegan in their original form, I veganized mine by creating coconut milk-based caramel instead of the usual, butter and dairy milk-based.  For my apples, I used local Honeycrisps from Dietrich Orchards in Conklin, Michigan.

Caramel apples are typically made with Granny Smiths because the apples' tartness counteracts the sweetness of the caramel but I wanted to make mine a little different.  Honeycrisps are fairly tart as well but they have a thinner skin, which I prefer, a greater crispiness and a beautiful red color.  Win!  Win!  Win!  I doused these babies in organic peanuts, wrapped them up and called it a day!

Enjoy the fall!