Going Green Mexican Style

There's waaaay more to Mexican food than tacos. And I love discovering all the different foods of this cuisine. I'm so excited to share with you this Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice recipe. Packed with vegetables and flavor, this dish is totally delish and good for you! And it is slightly fancy pants, which I super duper love.

This is a pretty lengthy recipe so be sure to read it through before working on it. It comes from Rachael Ray's cookbook called "Just in Time." As I find with many Rachael Ray recipes, this one takes a bit longer than 30 minutes to make. Just a little heads up for you!

First off, chili relleno is simply Spanish for stuffed pepper. I thought you should know!

If you have trouble finding poblano peppers, you can also use cubanelle peppers. And of course, you can omit the jalapeno if you aren't a fan of spicy. I often use a can of regular diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted. I just always have diced on hand.

This is nice when you are in the mood for Mexican but are trying to keep it a meatless meal. The peppers and corn are currently in season, so this a great time to make this dish, although I make it anytime of year.

I served these poblanos with green rice with a citrus marinated chicken (for the sake of my son), and a salsa fresca. Below is the recipe for the peppers and rice. Enjoy!

Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice

From "Rachael Ray: Just in Time!"

By Rachael Ray

Makes 4 servings 

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 cups white rice

4 large poblano peppers

4 to 5 ears or 3 cups frozen corn kernels

3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained well

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 (10 ounce) sack of baby spinach

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the broiler or a grill pan to high.

In a saucepot heat about 3 1/2 cups of the stock with the bay leaf to boiling. Add the rice, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 18 minutes or until tender. Discard the bay leaf.

While the rice cooks, place the poblanos under the broiler or on the hot grill and char evenly all over, about 15 minutes.

While the peppers and rice are working, scrape the corn off the cob. To do this efficiently, invert a small bowl and place it in the bottom of a large bowl. Stand the cobs on the inverted bowl and use a sharp knife to slice off the kernels; they will collect in the large bowl. If you are using frozen corn, pop it in the microwave to take the chill off: a couple of minutes on the defrost setting will do it. Drain and dry the defrosted corn by spreading it out on a clean kitchen towel.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil ripples add the corn, onions and jalapeno and toss until the vegetables char at the edges and the onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the garlic, tomatoes, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from the heat.

Place the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, the remaining 1/2 cup of stock, and the remaining tablespoon of oil in a food processor and puree into a coarse green paste.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with a small sharp knife, then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place the peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each pepper with lots of the corn mixture, mounding it out of the peppers. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Place the stuffed peppers back under the broiler to melt and char the cheese until bubbly and browned, a minute or two. 

Stir the green paste into the hot rice and serve with the peppers.