Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Chili Rellenos makes a meatless meal for Lent

(Chili Rellenos is stuffed with cheese, breaded and pan fried/Gannett News Service photo)


The six weeks of Lent are the holiest season in the Christian calendar. During this time, meatless meals are observed, mainly on Fridays. This leads up to the big holiday of Easter, which is April 12 this year.

I can remember some of the meals my mother made during Lent, which included a lot of fish dishes on Friday. Her pan-fried smelts were one of my favorites, along with the angel hair pasta in shrimp sauce she regularly made.

You can enjoy an ethnic twist when it comes to meatless meals, now during Lent, and any time of the year for that matter.

Today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features recipes from Detroit’s Mexicantown, where El Rancho Restaurant is located.

Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding) and Caldo De Pescado (Catfish Soup) are recipes from restaurant director Jeanette Avila, whose parents Alfonso and Lucia founded El Rancho 25 years ago.

Here is another meatless recipe from El Rancho Restaurant that uses poblano peppers. You can find them at many larger supermarkets or specialty stores. You can also substitute queso fresco or cotija, which are Mexican cheeses, for Muenster, if you have Mexican grocery stores in your neighborhood.

Chilies Rellenos

  1. 8 medium poblano peppers
  2. Oil for deep frying, optional
  3. 4 cups shredded Muenster cheese or cheese of choice, divided
  4. 2 cups flour
  5. 4 eggs, whites and yolks separated
  6. 1 cup olive oil for frying
  7. Rice and salsa for serving, optional
  • Preheat the broiler.
  • Place the peppers on foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler.
  • Broil, turning them, until they are lightly charred and blistered on all sides.
  • Remove from the broiler and place in ice water and rub the skin off. Or you can deep-fry peppers until top layer loosens. Drain oil and place peppers in ice water.
  • Make a 2-inch slit in the pepper. Carefully remove the seeds and as much of the core as you can without tearing the pepper, but leave the stem on.
  • Stuff the pepper with cheese and close.
  • Place about 2 cups of flour on a shallow dish or pie plate. Flour the peppers and set aside.

To prepare the batter: Place the egg whites in bowl and blend with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, until blended.

To fry peppers: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Dip the floured pepper into the batter mixture to coat.
Fry the pepper until golden brown on all sides.
Serve with rice and salad and top with salsa or more cheese.

Serves: 8 (generously).

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