Stuffed Piquillo Peppers with Lentils and
Blue Cheese Croutons

Piquillo—Spanish for "little beak"—peppers are stuffed with a lentil salad and served with crisp, blue cheese "croutons". Recipe by Chef Julian Alonzo.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup dried green lentils
1/2 onion
Cloves from 1/2 head garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons salt - divided use
1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 shallot, diced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - divided use
4 tablespoons Elixer XO or other Spanish sherry vinegar - divided use
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces Dunbarton Blue or other firm Wisconsin Blue Cheese
16 piquillo peppers, drained and dried well
Fleur de sel (or other sea salt)

Cooking Directions:

1. Place lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt in deep pot with 4 cups water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer; cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Pour a little over lentils to prevent them from drying out.
2. Discard onion, garlic and bay leaf. Mix lentils, bell peppers, tomatoes and shallot in large mixing bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and the chives. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle work surface with half of cornstarch. Dust hands with remaining cornstarch. Form cream cheese into 2 (6x6-inch) squares on work surface. Crumble blue cheese over one layer. Top with other layer, covering blue cheese. Press edges together to seal. Cut into 36 (1-inch) squares; roll in cornstarch. Deep fry until browned and crisp. Remove and drain.
4. Stuff piquillo peppers with lentil salad; place 2 in center of 8 serving plates. Place cheese "croutons" around peppers and sprinkle with remaining sherry vinegar elixir, remaining olive oil and fleur de sel.

Makes 8 (2 peppers per serving).

Recipe and photograph courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.