I love chiles, all kinds all ways. For some reason, this morning, I thought of the dinner I made last night and was transported to a Safeway store when I was about 4. I was with my grandmother, known to me and forever more as Mamaita. ("Little Mother;" she was obviously neither my mother nor little. In fact she was taller than my little barely 5'2" mother and a well built, very erect woman..) I ways dancing through the aisles racing around and twirling as she pushed the cart. My favorite aisle was the veggie aisle. Stories abound regarding my antics as a mere toddler riding in the shopping cart and reaching out for the green onions and radishes from the displays. Apparently I would stuff them in my mouth (unwashed...yuck!) before they could snatch them from me. I wonder which vitamin deficiency I suffered from? I remember sneaking a peek to make sure my grandma was not watching and grabbed a chile quickly stuffing it into my mouth. I was in my own kind of Nirvana. The heat burning up through my tongue into my nose and sinuses. The verdant flavor and crisp texture satisfying my need to crunch. Tears began brimming my lower lids and slowly pooling and falling in streams down my cheeks. Suddenly, my Mamaita noticed and must have thought I had hurt myself. Sweeping me in to her arms she cradled me and kissed away the tears. I was afraid to open my mouth for fear that she would discover the truth. She didn't but I think that perhaps my already spicy toned palate would forever equate tenderness with chiles. (By the way the spell check keeps putting a red line under chile. I am spelling it in Spanish!!!!)
So last night's dinner was my attempt to make chile rellenos something I would make more often because I love them. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to make them battered and fried but only once in awhile. These were neither battered nor fried. But as Trevor, my son, commented you could taste each ingredient harmoniously complimenting the other. Have I mentioned that Trevor is our resident "Foodie." A note about the cheese. I used the Costco preshredded Mexican blend. All stores seem to have this combo. But shred your own by all means. So with that in mind here goes my version of a stuffed pepper.
6 fat ancho chiles as straight as possible and about 6 inches long and 4 inches across (This makes for easier stuffing.)
1 lb of ground chicken
4 small red potatoes diced
2 med. tomatoes diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 leek diced for the filling and 1 leek diced for the steaming sauce
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (save a bit for garnish)
1/4 tsp. of dry oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
TBSP of Kosher salt
1 bottle of any beer (I used a Trader Joe's Mexican type beer.)
at least 4 cups of shredded cheese (1/2 cup for each chile ad the rest to put over the top of all of chiles.)
1/2 cup Mexican Crema (In a pinch salt and stir regular sour cream until it's a liquid.)
Preheat oven to 450.
1. Char the chiles over an open flame or roast in the oven. I have NEVER done this. I think you broil them.
2. Place them in a ziplock plastic bag. Seal the bag so that they sweat.
3. Heat a large skillet over med. heat with a TBSP of grapeseed oil.
4. Begin to brown/cook the ground chicken.
5. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, celery and leeks. Cook until just soft.
6. Add the garlic and salt and all of the herbs and spices.
7. Pour about 1/4 cup of beer into the mixture. Reduce the heat and allow to cook with lid on.
8. Take the chiles one at a time out of the plastic bag and with wet hands rub off the skin. DON'T WASH THE CHILIES!) Wipe your hands off with paper towels and wet hands again for each chile. It's okay if not all the skin comes off.
9. Lay the chilies flat and slit them open making a pouch.
10. Fill each chile with enough chicken filling to be "stuffed" generously.
11. Stuff each chile with cheese.
12. Pour the rest of the bottle beer into a baking dish with 1 chopped leek.
13. Place the stuffed chiles on top of the leeks and beer.
14. Cover with foil (but don't let the foil touch the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and pour crema over the chilies. Garnish with cilantro.
No comments:
Post a Comment