Chile Relleno

We heart Mexican cuisine.  Many Mexican restaurants only add cheese and fry their chile rellenos.   However, we saw a segment on "Rescue Chef" to grill the poblano peppers and fill them with lots of  yummy goodness.  Ever since that episode, we have been baking a heartier, healthier chile relleno.  It's a hit in our bellies.

First we grill the pasilla chiles (also known as poblano peppers) and remove the outer skin.   (Note -  I have also made this dish with red peppers).  For the filling we mix grilled onion and jalapeño, carnitas, rice, fresh tomatoes (you could use canned diced tomatoes), salsa, cilantro, chile powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper.  After baking them, we top the chile rellenos with shredded cheese and more fresh cilantro.  ¡Buen apetito!

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Fresh Pico de Gallo

Last night M made delicious grilled salmon tacos with homemade pico de gallo.  He made the pico in the afternoon so the flavors could merry. 

Pico de gallo:
1 to 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes  
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper
freshly squeezed lime juice
handful of chopped cilantro

On the flat-top grill pan he warmed the wheat-corn tortillas.  Then he sprayed the hot flat-top grill with cooking spray and simply grilled the salmon with salt, pepper, and some lime juice.  The fish cooked in a few minutes. 

Here's another shot of the tacos with homemade cole slaw, 

which was leftover from earlier in the week.  A yummy addition to this Mexican meal!

Jamie's Jalapeño Poppers

In honor of my Dad and Father's Day, I am sharing his recipe for stuffed jalapeño poppers.  His name is James or Jim, but Jamie's (Hi-MEH) Jalapeño Poppers has a better ring to it, at least I think so anyway. Hope that's okay Dad.  It's still your recipe.

This is my Dad's signature appetizer for family cookouts or for a night-in with good company and beer that he adapted from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book.  The peppers can be spicy, but they're addicting.  You keep eating them even if your mouth is on fire.

For this dish you'll need:
10 jalapeño peppers
4 ounces Asiago cheese
4 ounces cream cheese (whipped cream cheese works well)
12-15 Manzanilla olives
1 pepperoncini
a handful of cilantro or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cut the stems off the peppers and slice them in half length-wise.
2. Scoop out the ribs and seeds, unless you like super hot and want to keep them in.
3. In a food processor, blend all the other ingredients and add salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the mixture into the peppers.
5. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 440°F for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 20 Jalapeño Poppers.

Cooking Notes from Jamie:

Wear gloves when working with jalapeño peppers. 

Place the poppers in the oven (before it has preheated) and they are usually golden brown when the timer rings at the 12 minute mark. 

Drink beer, not water, if your mouth is burning or eat a slice of bread to combat the fieriness.
 
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Thanks for sharing your love of cooking with me.

Love,
C

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

The recipe for healthy Mexican sweet potato skins became even healthier with the use of Greek nonfat yogurt instead of the cream cheese and sour cream.  Yogurt is the way to go!

I've made this fare twice.  The first time I followed her recipe and it was too rich - maybe my portions (for the creams) were a bit off, but anyway, this version is even better!  Last weekend I recreated this side dish for my family with Greek yogurt and it was a HUGE hit.  My Dad enjoyed it too and he is N-O-T, NOT a fan of any type of yogurt. 

In addition to the yogurt, I changed a few parts.  First I made enough for 10 servings (5 sweet potatoes) and microwaved the potatoes for a bit (in small batches) in order to cut them in half and scoop the insides out.  Also I roasted 3 ears of corn, used a whole jar of roasted red peppers, 2 cans of black beans, and of course the Greek nonfat plain yogurt - a single serving size container (about 5-6 ounces).  I incorporated some cheese into the mixture, but you could also melt the cheese on the top like the original recipe suggests.  When the potatoes were stuffed I baked them for about 20 minutes at 350°F.

A delicious and healthy side dish, or meal all on its own!