Iron Chef Challenge: Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Sweet & Spicy Raisin Chutney

The "secret ingredients" for this week's Vegan MoFo Iron Chef Challenge were a tough combo: hot peppers, sunflower seeds, and grapes.  While it won't win me any points for creativity (not that there are points involved), stuffed peppers was all my tired brain could come up with.  I made a tofu-based ricotta which I mixed with lentils and roasted sunflower seeds for the stuffing, and served the peppers with a thick raisin chutney.

The Ingredients:
4 poblano peppers
1/4 c cheddar-style vegan cheese

Chutney:
1 T olive oil
1/2 a small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T tomato paste
3/4 c water
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c (firmly packed) raisins
2 T sugar
2 T applesauce
2 t hot red chile flakes
2 t molasses
1/2 t ground thyme

Filling:
3/4 of a 14-oz package of extra-firm tofu, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T lime juice
1 T nutritional yeast
1/2 t salt
2 c cooked lentils
1 1/4 c roasted sunflower seeds

The Process:

1. To make chutney, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 2-3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and water and stir until all chunks of tomato paste have dissolved.  Add water, vinegar, and raisins and bring to a simmer.  Add remaining ingredients, return to a simmer, and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and blend in a food processor or blender until only slightly chunky.
2. Preheat oven to 435°.
3. To make the tofu ricotta, combine tofu, garlic, lime juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a bowl, and mix together with your hands until tofu is all crumbled.
4. Add lentils and sunflower seeds to tofu ricotta, and mix until combined.
5. Cut the tops off the peppers, slit each pepper lengthwise down one side, and remove the seeds.  Stuff the ricotta mixture into the peppers.
6. Place peppers in an oiled baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle 1 T cheese on top of each pepper, then return to oven and broil until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
7. Serve with warm raisin chutney.