Chiles en Nogada

Chiles en Nogada is a Mexican dish from the state of Puebla. It is a patriotic dish, because it has the colors of the Mexican flag. This dish is beautiful to look at, but is also very tasty. The flavors here are different, both savory and sweet.  It is traditionally made with pork shoulder, but this is a vegetarian version. It is usually made in late August or early September and often contains peaches and pears.

You will need to start out with four fresh poblano chiles.  Choose firm and large chiles with nice stems still intact. You will need to char the chiles over a gas stove.  Blister all of the skin until it turns black by turning them directly on the burner.  I would suggest buying six chiles, in case some don't turn out as good, or they rip in the process of cleaning them out.

Have a large bowl ready and covered with plastic wrap.  As you blister each of the chiles, add them to the bowl and keep covering it until all are finished.  Leave them in the bowl for about 15 minutes and then uncover and rub the skins off until all skins are removed. Carefully cut a slit in the side (not too large) and remove and seeds and other membranes.  Be careful not to puncture through to the other side.  Rinse chiles and place back into the bowl and cover with water and a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Leave for 15 minutes.  This will add flavor and make the chiles not as spicy. Rinse and pat dry.

You can prepare the poblano chiles the day before. You will also need to prepare the walnuts for the sauce the night before. Take the walnuts and place into a bowl with enough milk to cover them. Cover and leave over night. You can also cook the quinoa the day before and/or make the entire filling the day before.

Filling:
1/2 of a large ripe plantain, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green apple, skin removed
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3 white button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 can of Goya tomato sauce
2 tbsp of butter (earth balance)
1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup of crumbled queso fresco

Garnish:
Pomegranate seeds
Parsley (chopped very fine)

In a large frying pan, toast the pine nuts until golden, being careful not to burn them. Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Next, add some olive oil to the pan and add onion until translucent, then add the butter and mushrooms.  Cook until mushroom start to brown. Don't stir too much. Next add the plantains and the apples and cook until soft.  Add a bit more oil if it looks dry. Once the vegetables are almost all cooked, add the tomato sauce and cook fora few minutes, then add the remaining ingredients, except the pine nuts. Cook on low heat for a few more minutes, then stir in the pine nuts and the queso fresco.

Sauce:
1/2 tsp sugar
sprinkle of salt
1 cup of queso fresco, crumbled
1 1/2 cup of walnuts (prepare the night before)
1 cup of milk

Take the walnuts that have been in the refrigerator over night, covered in milk and pour the milk out. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend. You want it to be smooth and creamy but still have very small walnut chunks.

Putting it together:
Stuff each chile with the filling and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, just until heated through. Gently heat walnut sauce in a pot until just warm but not boiling hot. Place stuffed poblano chile with the seam side down on a plate and cover with the walnut sauce. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and finely chopped parsley.

I Love My Rice Cooker

Kitchen appliances often clutter the kitchen, and most of them are unnecessary. Do you really need a sandwich press, waffle iron, George Foreman grill, and three types of blenders? I try to keep my kitchen appliances to a minimum ( I don't even own a microwave), but one thing I love is my rice cooker.  I have had this rice cooker for over ten years.  I bought it when I was living in the college dorms at Hunter College, and since then it has moved with me about ten times, across the country twice, through grad school, rested in storage, and is still going strong. One of my favorite things to eat is a big plate of warm white rice, topped with plantains and fresh vegetables. I like to drizzle it all with olive oil and add lemon juice or vinegar.

For this plate I used:
1 1/2 cups of rice
1 tbsp of sofrito, I used Goya
1 chopped serrano chile
1 persian cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 of an orange bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp of spanish green olives
1 egg
4 slices of Tropical Queso de Frier (Frying Cheese)
2 tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
vegetable oil
olive oil
fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

The great part about a rice cooker is that you can do other things, like take a shower or walk the dog, without worrying about ruining your rice.  The rice comes out perfect each time.  Drop the rice in the rice cooker and stir with enough olive oil to coat the rice, then add the sofrito and the serrano and 3 cups of water and stir.  While the rice cooker is doing its magic, chop up your vegetables and fry your plantains in enough vegetable oil to cover one side. 

When the rice is almost done, fry an egg to your liking and then the cheese until is is just brown and soft.  Top the rice with all of the vegetables, egg, cheese, and plantains.  Drizzle wth olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add either lemon juice or red wine vinegar.

This type of dish is so easy and versatile.  Sometimes I add avocado instead of the egg.  You can also add other vegetables or use other types of cheese, such as feta.