Tasting Spoons

When I spotted nice, jumbo, fresh Poblano chiles at the market I got to thinking about what would go well with them, and I remembered a dish I ate at a wonderful Pasadena restaurant, the Parkway Grill. At one visit, years and years ago, I ordered as an entrée their stuffed Poblano. I believe it was an appetizer (albeit, a hearty one), but I ordered it as my entrée. At the time I’d never had a Poblano, so was particularly impressed with the flavor, not only of the chile itself, but the fresh corn and cheese that melted out of it. I wanted to lick the plate. On the occasions that I’ve been back (not numerous, alas, since it’s about 40 miles away), it’s never been on the menu again, and likely they’ve changed chefs several times in the interim anyway. Some years ago I did try to make it, but just didn’t know what I was doing; didn’t have a recipe, so was kind of flying blind.

This time I used several internet recipes as guides (not including one that’s been copycatted all over the web that includes ½ cup of pecans), adapting it to fit what I wanted and what I had on hand to put into the chiles. We had fresh white corn on the cob, fresh red and yellow bell pepper, and I just kind of winged it from there. I tasted the mixture a few times as I went along, to see if it tasted anything like what I remembered. Well, it’s been so many years, I can’t be sure, but the combination of Poblanos (which are a very mild chile, by the way) and my addition of chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus a little squirt of concentrated chicken broth, a little feta, a bit of garlic here, a bit of cream there really added to the flavor. I forgot to add the egg (I’d intended to) so the mixture kind of fell apart. I’m glad I took a photo of it in it’s BEFORE state, since it was quite difficult to serve AFTER. If I were going to make this again, I might try to find cotija cheese (a crumbly Mexican cheese), but the feta worked just fine. I was very pleased with the salty crumbly addition. If you like more heat, add a larger chipotle chile. If you don’t like heat at all, eliminate the chipotle altogether.

A word to the wise: if you broil the Poblanos too long, the flesh of the Poblano is somewhat compromised – it becomes too fragile to handle. So, just char the peppers until they’re black, not any longer. That means hanging around in front of the oven perhaps more than you want to, but it’ll be worth it. My recollection is that the chile I had originally was still almost chewy and crunchy, so perhaps they didn’t even char it and/or remove the skin. I simply don’t remember.

My result? Absolutely fabulous. This would make a delicious entrée – there was surely enough quantity to be one. I served it with some leftovers which didn’t exactly go with it (the Mexican chicken I made a few nights ago). I think perhaps a small green salad would have been the best thing to go with it. There really was enough another peppers so if you can find medium-sized ones, make three!

Roasted Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Corn and Cheese

Recipe By: My own recipe, but inspired by a similar dish at Parkway Grill in Pasadena, California

Servings: 2

2 whole poblano peppers

2 whole corn on the cob — cut off the cob

3 tablespoons red onion — minced

1 large garlic clove — minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red bell pepper — minced

3 tablespoons yellow bell pepper — minced

1 small chipotle chile canned in adobo — minced

1/2 whole lime — juice only

1 whole egg — whisked (optional)

1 cup jack cheese — or cheddar, shredded

pepper — to taste

1/2 teaspoon chicken stock base

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons feta cheese — or cotija if you can find it

1.  Preheat oven to broil.

2.  Wash and dry the fresh chiles and lay them on a small cookie sheet lined with foil or a Silpat.  Place under broiler and char the peppers until the skins are black, turning them over once or twice to get all the sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Do not overcook them or they will fall apart once you try to remove the charred skin.  Remove from oven and cover with foil or plastic wrap (in a bowl) and let sit for 15 minutes.  When they’re cool enough to handle, using a paring knife or a paper towel, remove all the skin.  Then slit the chile from the side (from tip to stem, but leaving stem end intact) and remove seeds.  Reduce oven temperature to 350.

3.  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet and saute the onion for about 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for just 30-60 seconds, then remove from heat.

4.  Remove corn from the cobs (even scraping some of the milk from the cobs too as they add good flavor) and place in a medium bowl.  Add the cooked onion mixture, both bell peppers and chipotle.  Add the lime juice, heavy cream and the chicken stock base that’s been dissolved in about 1 T.  of water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Taste the mixture to see if it needs additional seasoning.  If you add feta cheese as I did, it’s salty all on its own.  You may not need any salt in the corn.

5.  Add the egg and about half of the cheese (jack and feta) to the corn mixture, stir and spoon the corn into the chile, laying the chile open somewhat.  Mound the mixture a bit, then sprinkle with the additional cheese.  Place the two stuffed chiles on the same baking sheet you used to char the peppers and bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling.  Serve immediately.

Serving Ideas: You could also add some chopped, cooked chicken to this, to make a complete meal.  Also wild rice would be a good addition, or even regular white rice.  Some recipes suggested small shrimp too.  This could also be served (in smaller sized peppers) as a side dish with a Southwest-inspired menu.

Per Serving: 289 Calories; 17g Fat (48.6% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 140mg Cholesterol; 263mg Sodium.

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The cooking instructor, Phillis Carey, explained that when she was a young child, her parents took a trip to Mexico, while she and her siblings stayed home. Upon their return, her mother worked on this recipe to recreate this dish until she was happy with the results. So, what is it, you ask? It’s a casserole containing a sauce, a filling of fresh mushrooms, chiles and onions, corn tortillas, drizzled with some Mexican crema, then topped with a delish relish of thinly sliced red onions that add a wonderful piquant flavor and a crunch as you eat it. In a way they’re just vegetarian enchiladas, but they’re not made in a traditional (rolled) method, but in layers, then baked. One of the unusual things about this is the sauce - it’s a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, blended with a can of enchilada sauce and jarred salsa. What could be easier than that? Blending it gives it a thicker consistency, and it melds well with the filling.

Phills Carey explained that if you didn’t like mushrooms, you can use a different filling. She suggested corn and zucchini. What came to mind for me is calabacitas, the flavorful side vegetable served in New Mexico (corn, zucchini, onion, Poblano chiles). I have worked on that recipe during the last year (it’s a favorite of mine) and I’ll post it one of these days. But you can create your own filling. For our dinner we made the other night, Cherrie made these, and I made the carnitas tacos.

Stacked Enchiladas Negras

ENCHILADAS:
2 pounds mushrooms — sliced, button
8 ounces Poblano pepper — diced
1 cup onion — chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds — or ground cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken broth — divided use
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups Mexican crema — divided use
15 ounces canned black beans — rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups salsa — bottled, Picante
10 ounces red enchilada sauce — mild
12 whole corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese — grated

VINEGARY RED ONIONS:
1 whole red onion — thinly sliced
3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan combine the mushrooms, chiles, onion, cumin seeds and 1/2 cup broth. Bring to a simmer and then cover and simmer until vegetables are juicy and limp, about 12 minutes. Uncover, increase heat and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are DRY and just beginning to brown, about 20 seconds.

2. In a measuring cup whisk together the remaining broth and cornstarch. Whisk in 1/2 cup crema and add to mushrooms. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Combine black beans, salsa and enchilada sauce in a blender and puree.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1 1/2 cups bean/enchilada sauce into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Stack 6 tortillas and cut in half. Arrange 6 halves in the casserole, straight edges against the edges, then overlap 3 whole tortillas to completely cover the sauce. Spread mushroom mmixture over tortillas to cover. Repeat with tortillas and pour remaining black bean enchilada sauce over all to cover completely.

4. Bake until bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting or scooping. Serve topped with a few vinegary red onions on top and drizzle additional Mexican crema over the top.

5. VINEGARY RED ONIONS: Thinly slice onion and place in a medium skillet. Add vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until cool, stirring often. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Serve with a slotted spoon. (Added note: if you have leftovers, these onions are GREAT added into a sandwich, like tuna salad, chicken salad, or even sliced turkey. Because they’re crunchy, it’s a wonderful addition.)

NOTES : Great dish for a buffet. Would work well for a brunch too. Do not substitute the Mexican crema - it’s important that you buy the agria kind, which means sour. Also, do not use Mexican table cream either as it lacks the stringy consistency of the agria variety. Regular sour cream will break down in this dish, whereas the Mexican variety will not.
Per Serving: 308 Calories; 9g Fat (26.4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 34mg Cholesterol; 896mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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