Sometimes I crave the distinctive qualities of a good old fashioned chile relleno…you know- the one stuffed with cheese, battered, and fried. Well, I do indulge from time to time, but just to make a point, you can create an entirely healthy, and just as satisfying chile relleno experience, that might even resemble some real Mexican authenticity. And, you’ll get a bonus of added clean nutrition! Use a ceramic or safe clay baking dish with a lid if possible, for a great even bake, and a magnificent smell from the oven during preparation. If enjoyed with an open mind and a sense of adventure, this dish should stave off the unhealthy chile relleno craving for quite some time.
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corn, black bean, & pepita chiles rellenos
Makes 4 chiles rellenos 2 large fresh tomatoes, cut into eighths and divided 1 large yellow onion, roughly diced and divided 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced into quarters 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, depending on how spicy you like it, sliced without the seeds 4 stuff-able poblano chiles 1/2 cup raw pepitas (hulled pumpkinseeds) Organic red palm or coconut oil 1 1/2 cups fresh shucked or canned corn 1 1/2 cups cooked or canned black beans, rinsed 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 1/2 tsp. chile powder 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, divided 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar olive oil salt & pepper to taste
Take half the tomatoes and about a third of the onion and place in an oven proof dish with the jalapeños or serranos, the garlic, and half the thyme sprigs. Toss in just enough olive oil to coat without drenching. Roast in a hot 400° oven until the tomatoes and onions are cooked and starting to caramelize. At the same time, roast the poblanos on a griddle or in the oven until they start to blister a little and soften. Remove chiles from heat and let cool while you make the filling. Grind the pepitas in a food processor until it becomes a coarse meal. Heat the palm or coconut oil in a sautee pan and add the cumin, chile powder, and coriander, and toast the seasonings for a minute until they become aromatic without burning. Then add the rest of the onion, the corn, and remaining thyme sprigs, and sautée until it is cooked and the onions are translucent. You may also roast the corn on the cob prior to shucking, for a more fire roasted flavor in the filling. Add the cooked corn mixture, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, half the cilantro, and about 2/3 of the beans to the pepitas and pulse the processor until it turns into a thick filling. Remove from the processor, and add the rest of the beans, mixing by hand to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to your desired taste. By now the tomatoes and onion mixture in the oven should be roasted and starting to caramelize. Remove from oven, place in a blender, add the remaining cilantro, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and blend (be careful when blending hot liquid it tends to cause combustion in the blender, so pulse gently at first). Season with salt and pepper for taste. Pour a little bit of the sauce back into the baking dish just to coat the bottom. Now, cut the tops from the top of your chiles, as close to the top as possible while creating a manageable opening. Remove any seeds from the cap and the insides of the chile or they will be a lot spicier than you may be ready for. Fill each chile equally with the stuffing, return caps, and place in the baking dish, then cover the stuffed chiles with some more of the sauce. Save some of the sauce for your finished plate, about half of the sauce should be reserved. Bake in the oven, covered for about 30 minutes at 375°, then uncover and return to oven and bake for another 15-30 minutes, until chiles are soft and cooked through. Serve with reserved sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro. Garnish with sprinkles of roasted whole or ground pepitas, if desired.
corn, black bean, & pepita chiles rellenos
Ingredients
- 2 large fresh tomatoes cut into eighths and divided
- 1 large yellow onion roughly diced and divided
- 3 cloves garlic sliced into quarters
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme divided
- 1 jalapeño or serrano chile depending on how spicy you like it, sliced without the seeds
- 4 stuff-able poblano chiles
- 1/2 cup raw pepitas hulled pumpkinseeds
- organic red palm or coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups fresh shucked or canned corn
- 1 1/2 cups cooked or canned black beans rinsed
- 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. chile powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro divided
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
- olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take half the tomatoes and about a third of the onion and place in an oven proof dish with the jalapeños or serranos, the garlic, and half the thyme sprigs. Toss in just enough olive oil to coat without drenching.
- Roast in a hot 400° oven until the tomatoes and onions are cooked and starting to caramelize. At the same time, roast the poblanos on a griddle or in the oven until they start to blister a little and soften. Remove chiles from heat and let cool while you make the filling.
- Grind the pepitas in a food processor until it becomes a coarse meal.
- Heat the palm or coconut oil in a sautee pan and add the cumin, chile powder, and coriander, and toast the seasonings for a minute until they become aromatic without burning. Then add the rest of the onion, the corn, and remaining thyme sprigs, and sautée until it is cooked and the onions are translucent. You may also roast the corn on the cob prior to shucking, for a more fire roasted flavor in the filling.
- Add the cooked corn mixture, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, half the cilantro, and about 2/3 of the beans to the pepitas and pulse the processor until it turns into a thick filling.
- Remove from the processor, and add the rest of the beans, mixing by hand to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to your desired taste.
- By now the tomatoes and onion mixture in the oven should be roasted and starting to caramelize. Remove from oven, place in a blender, add the remaining cilantro, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and blend (be careful when blending hot liquid it tends to cause combustion in the blender, so pulse gently at first). Season with salt and pepper for taste. Pour a little bit of the sauce back into the baking dish just to coat the bottom.
- Now, cut the tops from the top of your chiles, as close to the top as possible while creating a manageable opening. Remove any seeds from the cap and the insides of the chile or they will be a lot spicier than you may be ready for. Fill each chile equally with the stuffing, return caps, and place in the baking dish, then cover the stuffed chiles with some more of the sauce.
- Save some of the sauce for your finished plate, about half of the sauce should be reserved. Bake in the oven, covered for about 30 minutes at 375°, then uncover and return to oven and bake for another 15-30 minutes, until chiles are soft and cooked through.
- Serve with reserved sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro. Garnish with sprinkles of roasted whole or ground pepitas, if desired.