Category: Mexican

Easy Baked Cheesy Poblano Peppers – Chile Relleno

Mexican, Vegetarian

Hey guys! Anyone out there? I know it is a beautiful summer day, but if anyone out there is ready for some easy homemade Mexican food, please tune it! This recipe is super easy and delicious. Have you ever had a poblano pepper? In your nearby favorite Mexican restaurant, it is called a Chili Relleno. Basically, charred poblano peppers (slightly spicy, but just barely) stuffed with cheese and covered in a enchilada type tomato sauce and more cheese. I was thinking of my favorite Mexican place, Montery.

In any recipe on the Internet you find it fried and baked. This may be good and all, but not the same as my authentic Mexican restaurant. The Chile Relleno is not fried. The Chili Relleno is a perfect light vegetarian meal, despite all the cheese. I decided to try to create my own. This is a pretty amazing recipe… simplicity at its best. 3 ingredients- poblanos, mexican cheese blend, and enchilada sauce. You could shred and blend your own cheese mix. You could make your own enchilada sauce. You could, but then I could not call this “Easy…”

Easy Baked Cheesy Poblano Peppers

Ingredients

6-8 Poblano Peppers
1 large can Enchilada Sauce- I used Old El Paso, ya’ll…
1 large package of shredded mixed Mexican cheese… You know that blend in the grocery; don’t lie!

If you have a gas stove, char your peppers for a few minutes on each side. If not, roast them in your oven on 400 until charred- this will take longer, not going to lie.

Preheat your oven to 350

Place your roasted peppers in a zip top for 10 minutes. The peppers enclosed in the bag create a steam that will be helpful taking some of that skin off. In a few minutes rub the peppers around still in the closed bag with your fingers. If they are hot, use a towel or plastic gloves. I have no feeling left in my finger tips, so for me, I can use my bare hands. Open them up half way with a knife. Leave the tops in place. Take out the seeds and membranes.
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Take Corningware type dish that has been sprayed with kitchen spray. Pour a bit of your enchilada sauce on the bottom. Stuff your peppers and place in the pan. Cover with more sauce and cheese. Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Serve with rice, beans, and a guacamole salad. I have found my new favorite Mexican dish to make at home! Don’t get me wrong, I will still go out to Montery. I love cooking their amazing dishes, but they can still do the dishes for me! I am still trying to perfect the homemade margarita.

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Friday Fives 5/23/14

Breakfast and Brunch, Date Night, Friday Faves, Mexican, Vegetarian

I had this post all ready yesterday, but never got a chance to post it. So here are a few of my favorite things from this past week…

Chilaquiles- I love to try different versions of this yummy mexican brunch dish. This was made with green chilies, jalapenos, grilled chunks of chicken, tortilla chips, jack cheese, topped with sunny side up eggs, and avocado. Would have been even better with a spicy bloody mary!
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Talenti- My new favorite frozen treats! I have had a few kinds in the past and LOVED them!This past week I got the roman raspberry sorbetto. This week, I am trying the mango sorbetto and the black cherry gelato.
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I like the red ones the best.
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Hot dog night!
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Date Night- Sushi!
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Malbec- This one caught my eye, because my girls are obsessed with Elsa from Frozen. It was yummy!005

Farmer’s Markets… I went this morning and got a bunch of treats! I have thinking about radishes for a while, so when I saw some this morning, I knew I had to snatch them up! One of my favorite combos is salted butter and radishes. I love making butter and radish sandwiches
during the summer! 008

The Tale of Two Tacos

Girls' Night Out/In, Mexican

We finally ate those damn tacos! They were delicious!
Here is the link to making your own taco seasoning.
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/07/23/homemade-taco-seasoning-mix/

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Last night I had planned on making patty melts, but there was just too much food in the fridge that we needed to eat up and it was just us girls for dinner (Daddy had a hockey game). For the girls- well, they wanted french toast sticks and Annie Spaghetti O’s. Random, but ok. I made myself a nice big taco salad with the leftover taco meat. We still have a box of taco shells in the pantry, but I think they will sit there for awhile until the taco craving strikes again or I find something else creative to do with them. Any ideas?
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Beef Enchiladas with Green Chilies and Spicy Peppers

Mexican

Happy Sunday! I love making different enchilada recipes. Sometimes I just like them plain with chicken or beef. Other times I like to add veggies and beans. Tonight I wanted something with a little more kick, so I decided to make beef enchiladas using green chilies (not spicy) with Poblanos (some heat) and jalapenos (even more heat). These enchiladas are perfect for people who like spicy food, but don’t like their tongues burning off.

Here is the deal. I like spicy foods. I am the only one who puts Sriracha on anything n my family. I love it on my eggs. I add a bit to my cold leftover pizza. I add a dollop here and there for a spicy kick. My husband also loves spicy. He can actually tolerate spicier wings that I can. I love spicy, but sometimes food is just too spicy to appreciate the flavor. My tongue is just burning and I can’t taste anything else after the first bite. Maybe that makes me a wimp? But maybe I need a subtle spicy? The one that creeps up on you bite after bite? That is what I crave for my spicy food! Here is a new enchilada recipe that fulfills just that craving!

P.S The girls wanted cheese enchiladas with no sauce. They are not big spicy fans yet. I let them make it, so they ate it! I confess that I never really tasted it.They seemed to “like” it. Their palettes are still being formed. I have high hope for them. They each seem to like their own things, but they will try all things that I give them. Hooray to daring young eaters!

Beef Enchiladas with Green Chilies and Spicy Peppers

1 onion chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2- 1 Jalapeno Pepper chopped with or without seeds and membranes
1/2- 1 Poblano Pepper (same as above)DISCLAIMER: seeds and membranes of peppers make them a lot spicier
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
1 pound ground beef
2 table spoons of cumin and Worcestershire Sauce
Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste
About 2 cups of Mixed Mexican Cheese- Queso Fresco, Cheddar, Montery Jack, etc. Shredded
1 large can of enchilada sauce- one day I vow to make my own

Heat your oven to 350.
First cook down your onions and garlic. Add your beef. Start to brown, then add in your peppers and green chines. Add your spices and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 8 minutes or until all are incorporated. Take off heat and cool. Take pan coated with Pam and add a bit of enchilada sauce at the bottom. Then out a scoop or so of meat and cheese in each tortilla. Once completed, add the rest of your enchilada sauce and them top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or so until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with rice (yellow or Mexican) and beans (black or re fried).
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“Chilaquiles”

Breakfast and Brunch, Eggs, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Mexican, Pork, Soups

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish that typically contains green salsa (tomatillo), red salsa (tomato) or mole sauce that is poured over crisp tortilla triangles, called totopos. The mixture is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. Because this was mainly a dish to use leftover tortillas and salsa, sometimes leftover meat is added to the mix. Most recipes garnish it with sour cream or crema, shredded queso fresco, raw onion rings and avocado slices. Since chilaquiles is mostly considered a breakfast/brunch dish, it is usually topped with eggs.

I have read lots of different recipes on this and I believe that this is one of those things that some regions and families just make and hold true for themselves. Mexican dishes, regional and family variations are quite common.

My husband grew up eating this recipe that his mom made and called Chilaquiles. They are not from Mexico… I would consider this more of a pork soup, so technically, this is not a true chilaquiles… but don’t tell them that I said that =)

“Chilaquiles”

1 pork butt (this would work well for chicken) heavily seasoned with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Add a couple of cups of beef or pork stock. Cook all day in a crock pot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Brown a diced onion and a few cloves of crushed and minced garlic in a large dutch oven.
Add your shredded pork/chicken.
Add one large can of diced tomatoes.
Add 4 small cans of diced green chilies
Add a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce
Mix in more stock to your desired consistency.
Add in tortilla chips, leftover tortillas, or corn chips
Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado/guacamole, and possibly a nice runny egg for breakfast/brunch

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