Stuffed Green Chiles Recipes

STUFFED POBLANO CHILES ("CHILES RELLENOS")

Steps:

• Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
• Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

CHILES RELLENOS (STUFFED PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Place whole peppers over an open flame (gas burner) or under the broiler. Roast, turning frequently until evenly black and blistered. Remove from heat, place in a plastic bag, and let them sweat for a while. This will allow the skins to peel of easily.
• While the peppers are sweating, place the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring to crumble, until evenly browned. When beef is fully cooked, add the onion, garlic and tomato, and cook for a few more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Remove the peppers from the bag, and peel off the burnt skin. You may wish to wear protective gloves. Run peppers under cool running water to rinse away any burnt pieces. Make a small vertical slit in the side of the peppers, and remove the seeds and veins. Stuff each pepper halfway with the ground beef mixture, then fill the rest of the way with shredded cheese. Close the slits, and secure with toothpicks.
• Whip egg whites in a large glass or metal bowl until thick and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, and whip for a minute to blend in.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the stuffed peppers with a light dusting of flour, then dip them in the egg so they are fully covered. Carefully place in the hot oil, and fry on both sides until golden. Drain on paper towels, then serve on a large platter.

GREEN CHILES RELLENOS (STUFFED GREEN CHILES)

Steps:

• Cut cheese into slices 1/2" thick and the length of the chili.
• Make a small slit in chili just big enough to insert cheese(you can also poke in some slivers of onion at this point).
• Dip in batter and fry in hot oil or lard until golder brown.
• Drain and serve.
• May be garnished with green chili sauce if desired.
• To make batter, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal.
• Blend milk with egg;then combine milk and egg mixture with dry ingredients.
• Add more milk if necessary for smooth batter.
• Using a spoon, dip stuffed chilies in batter.

LAMB-STUFFED GREEN CHILES WITH FRESH TOMATO PUREE

Steps:

• To make the stuffed chiles, roast, peel and seed the chiles, keeping them whole for stuffing. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onions about 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the ground lamb and brown 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Drain off the excess fat and add the bread crumbs, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs. Decrease the heat and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Slice the chiles lengthwise, spread them open on a work surface and generously stuff each chile with the lamb mixture. Place the stuffed chiles on an oiled baking pan with the open side down and set aside.
• To make the puree, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the excess liquid evaporates. The sauce will reduce and thicken. At this point you can pour the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the skins or you can serve the sauce as it is. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the stuffed chiles in the baking dish in the oven and heat until hot, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately with the tomato puree. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

GREEN CHILI AND CHEESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9 inch square baking dish (or similar size) with cooking spray.
• Make a deep cut into the side of each chicken breast half to form a pocket or 'purse'. Stuff 1/4 cup of cheese and about 1 tablespoon of the chilies onto each one. Close, and secure with a toothpick so that the cheese does not escape while in the oven. Place the stuffed chicken into the baking dish. Season with Fajita seasoning, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese and chilies over the top.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the chicken juices run clear, and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

GREEN CHILE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease a cookie sheet or 13x9 baking dish.
• Stir together filling ingredients: Minced mushroom stems through salt.
• Spoon filling into cleaned mushroom caps and place them in prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Place on a serving platter and sprinkle chile powder and fresh minced cilantro over the top of them.

STUFFED MASA POCKETS WITH GREEN CHILES AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For filling:
• Char poblano chiles directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and slice chiles into 1/4-inch strips.
• Place tomatoes in processor; chop coarsely. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chiles; cook until mixture thickens, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in cheese. Season with salt.
• For dough:
• Combine fresh masa or masa harina mixture, flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Knead to blend well, adding warm water by tablespoonfuls as needed until dough is soft but not sticky. Divide dough into 10 equal portions; roll each into ball. Place balls on sheet of aluminum foil. Cover balls of dough with plastic wrap to prevent drying.
• Cut two 8-inch rounds from heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Place 1 round on bottom half of tortilla press. Place 1 dough ball in center; top with second plastic round. Close tortilla press, gently flattening dough to 4-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Peel off top plastic. Lift bottom plastic and peel dough round off. Place on sheet of waxed paper. Shape remaining 9 balls into 4-inch rounds.
• Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Heat heavy large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Place two 4-inch rounds at a time on griddle or skillet. Cook until just light brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer gorditas to prepared baking sheet. (Filling and gorditas can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely; let stand at room temperature.)
• Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/2 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer. Heat oil over medium heat to 325°F to 350°F. Fry 2 or 3 gorditas at a time until crisp and slightly puffed, 30 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Cut halfway around edge of each gordita to make opening. Gently squeeze sides to open shell. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into each opening. Arrange gorditas on platter; serve warm.