Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Cheese

Posted by Chyrel March 24, 2002
11:13:14

This is one of the most traditional, and most loved, dishes of
Mexico.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
10 tomatoes, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oregano
16 poblano chiles, toasted, skinned and deveined
14 ounce queso fresco (farmer’s cheese or mild
feta
may be substituted), crumbled
Flour, for dusting
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Serves 8.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and
sauté the onion until translucent along with the
carrots.
Add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar; simmer for
approximately 10 minutes.
Stir in the oregano, season to taste with
salt and pepper.
Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes
have reduced down.

Stuff the chiles with the cheese and close, overlapping the
sides slightly.
Dust with flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Beat the yolks with a pinch of
salt and fold together with the egg whites to make a batter.
Dip
the stuffed chiles in the batter and fry in very hot oil until
golden.

Place the chiles in a serving dish and pour the tomato sauce
over the top; serve.

Chile Corn on the Cob

2 quarts water
1/4 cup crushed caribe chile
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 ears corn, shucked

Bring water, chile, vinegar and salt to a boil.
Add the corn;
cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain and serve immediately.

Chile Rajas

6 poblano chiles, roasted and peeled
1 onion, halved and cut in strips
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 to 5 pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt, to taste
6 to 8 ounces Oaxaca or mozzarella, grated

Stem and seed the chiles and cut into narrow strips.
Sauté the onion in vegetable oil until soft and
translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Do not brown.
Add the chiles and
cook 1 minute, then add the cream cheese and spices.
When the cream
cheese is completely melted, add the grated Oaxaca or mozzarella
cheese in 6 to 8 handsful.
Allow the cheese to melt without
stirring and take care to keep the temperature low.

Serve in individual ramekins with a hot flour tortilla draped
over the top of each bowl.
To eat, the raja mixture is simply
spooned into the tortilla, which is rolled or folded to keep the
mixture from spilling out.
Remember the trick of tipping one end up
so you don’t lose any of the delicious filling.

The chile and onion mixture may be prepared up to 2 days in
advance and either refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.
Be
sure to reheat it before adding the two cheeses.

Cinnamon Squash Rings

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup yellow or white cornmeal
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 large acorn squash, cut crosswise
into 1/2-inch slices and seeded
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix brown sugar, milk and egg.
Mix bread crumbs, cornmeal and
cinnamon.
Dip squash slices into egg mixture, then coat with bread
crumb mixture; repeat once more.

Place squash slices in an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Drizzle with butter.
Bake uncovered until squash is tender, about
35 minutes.

Deep-Fried Squash Blossoms

Use the blossoms from winter squash, not zucchini.

20 to 30 fresh squash blossoms
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure ground chile
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 cups corn meal
Vegetable oil

Wash blossoms gently, then pat dry.
Beat together the eggs milk
and seasonings.
Dip each blossom in the mixture, roll it in the
corn meal, lay on a cookie sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes
before frying.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet and dry the blossoms a few at a time
until crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Tongs will help to
turn them over.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Blue cornmeal adds interest to this old pioneer standby.

3/4 cup blue cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 pounds green tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings
4 green chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped

Combine blue cornmeal and salt.
Slice tomatoes, then dip in the
cornmeal mixture.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add tomato
slices and brown on one side.
Flip tomatoes over to brown second
side.
Spread green chiles over the tops of the tomatoes while the
second side is browning.