Chiles Rellenos Con Queso

 
This is a rather involved recipe and sooo worth the work!

From Steve Rogers:

4+ Poblano Chiles - 3"-4" long
A few ounces of Panela cheese and Oaxaca or Chihuahua cheese cut into strips for stuffing into chiles

1-2 medium to large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
Fresh garlic, minced
2 + pounds peeled fresh tomatoes or 28+ oz can whole tomatoes
Tomato Juice or water to make sauce thin.
Salt to taste
Olive oil
2 eggs (or 1 egg for every two chiles), separated
Cooking oil
White flour
Wooden toothpicks
1-2 produce bags from the grocery store

1. Blacken chiles by putting them directly over the flame of the burner on a gas stove, grill, or do it in a broiler. Turn chiles often to black evenly without burning through or cooking it too much. When black and blistered, place the pepper in a plastic produce bag from grocery stores. Keep the bag closed; this will help remove the skin.

2. After 20-30 minutes, peel the skin of the chiles. After the chiles are peeled, make an incision in the side of the chile starting at the top and going down a few inches. Cut out the main seed pod under the stem and pull it out. Be careful not to rip the chile.

3. Rinse with cold water in the sink. Pull out any ribs and seeds that don't come out with the seed pod. When finished, roll chiles in white flour and set aside.

4. Cut cheese into thin strips about as long as the chiles are. Insert cheese through the slit in the chile that results in the chile being full, but not too stuffed; the cheese will expand when melted. Seal the slit with a wooden toothpick. Roll in flour again. Set aside.

5. In a large sauce pan, saute onions and garlic in enough oil. When the onions start browning, stir in tomatoes. Mash up tomatoes and add juice or water to get a tomato juice consistency. Add salt as desired. Simmer on low heat.

6. Separate one egg for every 2 chiles. Beat the whites until stiff. Beat the yolk a little and fold into the beaten whites.

7. Heat 1"-2" cooking oil in large frying pan to about 375 degrees. Dip chile by the stem in egg batter until coated well. Fry on the surface of the oil. Rotate chile until slightly browned. Be careful not to turn too much; turning more than 3 times may cause the chile to come apart. Heat long enough to melt cheese.

8. You may choose to put the browned chiles in the sauce right away or serve individually. If adding to sauce immediately, cover chile with sauce until it is covered completely. Simmer for 15 minutes. If not, add a ladle of sauce to a shallow bowl or plate. Place chile over sauce.

Serve with rice if desired.

Chicken Stir Fry with Chickpeas, Water Chestnuts in Sweet Chili Sauce

15oz chickpeas, drained
8oz water chestnuts, drained
2 chicken breasts
1 small onion, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Cilantro

Sauce:

1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (regular vinegar will work too)
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp hot mustard
1 tsp garlic
1 tbsp red chile paste

1. Heat vegetable oil on medium heat in skillet. Cook chicken breasts thoroughly until reaching 170 degrees. When fully cooked, remove chicken breasts and slice.

2. Mix all sauce ingredients well until sugar is dissolved. Add sauce to skillet.

3. Add chickpeas to skillet and cook for 5 minutes.


4. Mix in onion, water chestnuts, and chicken to skillet. Stir to thoroughly coat in sauce. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20minutes.

5. Top with chopped cilantro when ready to serve.

A Few Jewelry Pieces

So, I've decided to get back into jewelry making and made a few things this week. I'm contemplating opening an Etsy store. I'd appreciate any thoughts :)

Cheesecake Brownies

From Allrecipes.com:

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Prepare the brownie mix as directed on the box. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.

3. Bake according to instructions. Brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

White Bean Chili

From Randy Wessel:

1-2 lbs chicken
1 48oz jar of Great Northern white beans (do not drain)
1 16of jar of medium salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
8oz monterey jack cheese (cubed)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2-3/4 green pepper, chopped
1-2 tsp oregano
Olive oil

1. Grill chicken in a frying pan on the stove with the onions and garlic.

2. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove and cut into cubes.

3. Sautee green pepper with olive oil until slightly softened.

4. Mix the beans, salsa, spices in a tall pot or crock pot.

5. Add in the chicken/onion/garlic mix and peppers to the pot.

6. Cover and simmer on low for 1-2 hours. Stir occasionally to prvent sticking. Add cubes of cheese 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips. Add sour cream/chopped green onions when serving.

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter

 
From EatingWell.com:

1 lb fresh or frozen gnocchi
2 tbsp butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 lb zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise (tip: use a vegetable peeler or mandoline slicer)
1 pint cheery tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsely

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float - 3-5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to bornw, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened - 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring often - until the tomatoes are just starting to break down - 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings of 1 1/2 cups each.

Grilled Salsa Verde with Smoky Pork Tenderloin

From Cuisine Lite magazine:

Salsa Verde:
1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
1/ cup chopped white onion
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp sugar

1. Preheat grill to medium. Brush grill grate with oil.

2. Grill tomatillos and jalapeno until slightly charred, 4-5 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

3. Remove cores from the tomatillos. Remove stem, skin, and seeds from the jalapeno.

4. Puree tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt, and sugar in a food processor until salsa is blended and slightly chunky.

Makes about 1 cup.


Smoky Pork Tenderloin:
2 tbsp minced fresh oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lb trimmed pork tenderloin

1. Combine oregano, paprika, chili powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt in a bowl. Stir in red wine vinegar.

2. Rub paste over pork tenderloin.

3. Grill pork covered, over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side. Rotate pork 1/4 turn every 3 minute. Continue grilling until pork reaches 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer - about 15 minutes total. Remove pork from grill and tent with foil; rest 5 minutes before slicing.

4. Serve with Grilled Salsa Verde.

Makes 4 servings.

Fire-Roasted Salsa

From Cuisine Lite magazine:

2 lb tomatoes, cored (I use roma tomatoes)
1/2 red onion, peeled
3 cloves garlic, wrapped in foil
1 jalapeno
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar

1. Preheat grill to medium. Brush grill grate with oil

2. Grill tomatoes, onion, garlic packet, and jalapeno, covered, until the tomatoes begin to char - 5 minutes. Flip and grill 5 minutes more.

3. Remove vegetables from the grill. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel skin from tomatoes, chop onion and jalapeno, and peel skin from garlic.

4. Pulse chopped vegetables, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and sugar in a food processor until salsa is chunky.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Ham and Potato Pancakes

From the Favorite Brand Name's Incredibly Easy Silly Snacks cookbook:

3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, grated, and squeezed cry (about 2 cups) - I used regular russet potatoes, not grated

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup (4-5 oz) finely chopped cooked ham

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Mild fruit chutney (optional)

1. Combine grated potatoes, green onions, and egg in a large bowl; mix well. Add ham, flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large heavy-bottomed skills. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons and press with back of spoon to flatten. Cook over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil if necessary to cook remaining batter. Serve pancakes with chutney, if desired.

Makes 4 servings (roughly 4 pancakes each)

Honeydew and Nectarine Salad with Apricot and Yogurt Dressing

From the Home and Gardens - Dinner Express cookbook:

1/2 of a medium honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
2 medium tart apples, cored, halved lengthwise, and cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium nectarines or peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
1/4 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
3 tbsp apricot jam
1/4 tsp ground ginger or ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh raspberries

1. In a large bowl, combine melon, apples, and nectarines or peaches. For dressing: In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, jam, and ginger.

2. Drizzle with dressing. Top with raspberries. Serve immediately.