Crowd-pleasing stuffed peppers

As a kid, stuffed peppers were my favorite meal, each pepper a whimsical meal in itself. I drew on that association while developing a recipe for Chiles en Nogada in our newly released book “Chile, Clove, and Cardamom: A Gastronomic Journey Into the Fragrances and Flavors of Desert Cuisines,” co-authored with renowned ethnobotanist and writer Gary Paul Nabhan.

This Mexican specialty of roasted poblano chiles, stuffed with spiced ground meat and garnished with walnut cream and pomegranate seeds, is traditionally served in September to celebrate Independence Day.

It’s a colorful representation of the Mexican flag — green, white and red.

The recipe is relatively easy, but it does take time.

I confess, that like my mom I’ve dared to take a few shortcuts to make it more accessible for a busy home cook.

The resulting recipe is simple and flexible, but reflects the same flavors and presentation.

Choose any ground meat you’d like, beef, chicken, pork, lamb or a mix; use any pepper you’d like, and vary the spices to suit your taste.

In developing the recipe, we reached out to chef Lucia Watson, whose time in Mexico, along with her skill and practical knowledge, helped us translate this traditional dish for busy American cooks. You can make both the sauce and the peppers ahead and hold them covered in the refrigerator.

Warm the peppers through and then serve with the sauce.

It’s easy enough to scale up for a dinner party or cut down for just two.

Stuffed Mexican Peppers in Yogurt Walnut Sauce

Serves 4 to 8.

Chiles en Nogadas is Mexico’s national dish for good reason! Showcasing the nation’s flag colors (green, white and red), it was created in 1821 to recognize Mexico’s independence from Spain. We opted to roast instead of frying the peppers before filling them, and then held them in a warm oven until ready to serve. From “Chile, Clove and Cardamom: A Gastronomic Journey Into the Fragrances and Flavors of Desert Cuisines,” by Beth Dooley and Gary Paul Nabhan (Chelsea Green, $34.95). Available now in bookstores and online.

8 large poblano chiles

For the stuffing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. ground dark meat chicken or turkey

1 medium white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped tart apple

½ cup dried raisins, plumped in hot water to cover

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground clove

¼ cup dry sherry, optional

1 (14-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes with juices

¼ cup chopped pistachios

¼ cup chopped pitted green olives

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the walnut sauce:

½ cup raw whole walnuts

1 cup Mexican Crema, sour cream or plain whole Greek-style yogurt

¼ cup crumbled queso fresco

1 cup pomegranate seeds, for garnish

½ cup coarsely chopped parsley, for garnish

To prepare the peppers: Preheat the broiler to high. Put the peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the skins are blackened, rolling several times, about 10 minutes total. Remove, cover with a clean dish towel to steam until cool. Rub the skin from the peppers (don’t worry if all of it doesn’t come off). Cut a horizontal slit down the middle and remove and discard the ribs and seeds.

To make the stuffing: Film a large skillet with the oil and spread the ground meat out in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits until the meat is lightly browned. Stir in the onion and garlic, and continue cooking until the onion is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the apples, raisins with their juices, oregano, cinnamon, clove, sherry and tomatoes, and stir, scraping up any brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced and the stuffing is firm. Stir in the pistachios, olives, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the flavors to taste. Set aside.

To fill the peppers: Reduce the oven to 200 degrees. Place the peppers cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet and fill each with equal amounts of the stuffing, pressing the filling into the peppers, but not so much they burst. Place in the oven to hold until ready to serve.

To make the sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the walnuts, yogurt and cheese and process until smooth but still a bit chunky.

Serve the peppers drizzled with the sauce and garnished with the pomegranate seeds and parsley.