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.

Applesauce

Most store-bought applesauce has tons of sugar and/or corn syrup in it. It is always best to buy non-sweetened and add your own cinnamon and sugar if you like.  I even like to heat it up with dried cranberries or cherries.  They get nice and plump and warm when you heat up the applesauce.

Even better is making your own applesauce.  I had some leftover apples from when I went apple picking.  The apples weren't as crisp as when I picked them, but I didn't want them to go to waste.  Perfect time to make applesauce! It is so easy, delicious, and good for you that I don't know why I don't make it more often.

Sorry I don't have exact measurements...

I added about a half a cup of apple cider and around four peeled and chopped apples to a pot. 

Turn the heat on medium heat and add a few shakes of cinnamon and a tiny bit of sugar.  You won't need to much sugar because the apples and the applesauce are sweet on their own, and the cinnamon cuts the need for too much sugar.  You could add agave nectar instead if you like.  Let this cook until it starts to boil pretty hard, then lower it to low heat and partially cover with a lid.  You can add more apple cider if it looks dry.  Let the apples cook until they are tender, then with a potato masher, mash up the apples.

This is so delicious and easy! It takes no time and can be eaten in the morning, with a meal such as pierogies and fried onions, or as a late night healthy snack that is filling.

Cranberry Sauce

Every Thanksgiving, my Aunt Rae cooks up an amazing meal to a packed house of family and always a few friends.  She cooks and prepares virtually every single thing that goes on that table from scratch.  It is a delicious meal and transitions from antipasto, to stuffed mushrooms, to artichoke pie, to the main meal of turkey and about 9 vegetable dishes, and then down to dessert, she always makes an assortment of pies.  The only two things that are allowed outside of what she prepares are the cranberry sauce (made by me) and the apple pies (made by my mom).

People who don't eat meat don't understand how vegetarians can enjoy Thanksgiving. They equate turkey with Thanksgiving.  But really, there are so many things to eat, the turkey is a small portion of what actually goes into your belly.  Thanksgiving has been a particularly important tradition and holiday in my family, going all the way back to my grandfather, who was a butcher and chef. My Aunt Rae has taken over his role and makes the meal just as my grandfather would have.

Thanksgiving is about eating.  That eating is what nourishes the togetherness and the cultivates the conversations that take place all day (well, the wine also helps). That's what Thanksgiving is really about.  Being thankful for loved ones, and always remembering those who have passed, reminding you to be thankful for the ones who are still there.

I have been making this cranberry sauce for years, I can't remember how far back.  The recipe has never been told before.  I hope you and your loved ones also enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving.

- 2 12oz. Bags of whole fresh cranberries

- 2 Apples (preferably McIntosh, because they just melt into the sauce)

- 2 Navel oranges

- 1 Cup of cold water

- 1 Cup of orange juice

- 2 1/3 Cups of sugar (preferably vegan)

- 1/2 Tsp of vanilla extract

- 1/2 Tsp of ground cinnamon

First wash the cranberries in a strainer and take out any of rotten ones and remove any leftover stems.

Then cut some of the zest of the oranges off with a vegetable peeler.  Try not to get much of the white part, because that will make it bitter. 

Now remove the rest of the orange peel by cutting off both ends of the orange and using a knife, slice of the peel and all white parts off.  Save the peels on the side! 

Chop the orange into small pieces and place with the cranberries and orange zest in a bowl.  Next, peel both apples and chop into small pieces.  I unfortunately had to use Gala apples this time and the apples didn't cook into the sauce as well as they do with the McIntosh.  Set apples with the cranberries and oranges. While your dog stares at you because she loves apples, try not to give her too many, because you don't want to mess up the recipe.

Into a dutch oven or large pot, add the sugar, orange juice, and water.  Squeeze all of the juice out of the orange peels/ends that you cut off into the pot and any juice from the cutting board.  Throw out the orange peels.  Let this come to a boil while stirring a few times.  Make sure all of the sugar has dissolved.

Now add the bowl of cranberries, apples, oranges, and orange zest.  Stir and allow to come to a boil.  You will want to simmer this on low until the cranberries have popped and the apples are cooked (about 15-20 minutes).  Right before the sauce is done, add the vanilla and cinnamon and stir.  Turn off the heat.  This will continue to cook for a while, so stir it every so often until it cools down and you can add it to containers to be refrigerated.  Remove the orange zest and discard.