Vegan Chile Relleno

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Republishing this traditional Lenten recipes for meat-less Fridays and holy days of the Catholic liturgy. Catholics abstain from flesh meat on the Fridays of Lent.Abstinence is one of our oldest Christian traditions. “From the first century, the day of the crucifixion has been traditionally observed as a day of abstaining from flesh meat to honor Christ who sacrificed his flesh on a Friday”

The gastronomy of Mexico is based on the triad of corn, beans and squash (maize, frijol y calabaza). These were cultivated in pre-hispanic time within the agricultural system known as the milpa. Chile, tomatoes and native herbs are companions to this system. The ingredients in my recipe are reflective of the plant based nourishment sourced from the milpa.

I’m no expert in nutrition but I do know that beans (legumes) have the highest amount of natural occurring plant based protein and corn contains 7 of the 9 essential amino acids. The other 2 are found in beans. So, this chile relleno meal is definitely healthy, filling and delicioso. Let’s get started.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Chile and filling

4 large chile poblanos

6 oz sliced mushrooms ( Crimini or White Button)

1 cup chopped onion

2 ears of corn roasted.or 1½ cups frozen corn kernels

1½ cups refried black beans**

1½ tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Sauce

4 large tomatoes

1 lime for juice

⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

⅛ teaspoon ground oregano

Preparation

**Refried beans

Canned vegetarian refried beans are OK for this dish but by making your own you’ll have better tasting beans. Freeze any excess for later.

To make fresh beans, spread 1 cup of dry black bean on a flat surface and inspect and remove any debris and broken beans then wash them in water and drain. Place the beans in a 4 quart sauce pan, add 1 smashed garlic clove and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Periodically check the water level and add hot water as necessary. When the beans are cooked soft to the touch, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir and set aside. Remove liquid broth to a level of ¼ inch above the beans before mashing them with a potato masher. Beans may be prepared a day ahead and you can freeze any excess for later.

Roasted Chile Poblano

Wash the poblano pepper then carefully cut-out a void in the center to form the pepper into the shape of a boat (see photo).. Remove the seeds but keep stems intact Retain the cut-out portion of poblano. Both parts will be roasted.

Place the outer sides of the peppers on a baking tray, then set the tray 6 to 10 inches under the broiler flame. Roast for 5-7 minutes until the chile is uniformly blistered,. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then place them in a plastic bag so they can steam and soften. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Chop cut-out portions into ½ inch squares as these will be used in the mushroom filling described below.

Mushrooms

Add 1 tablespoon of oil in a 10 inch stainless steel pan heated to medium high. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté them 5 minutes or until soft. Mix in the poblano squares. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.

Corn Kernels

After the corn is roasted on a grill or pan, place the end of the corn in the center hole of a bundt baking pan. Hold the tip of the cob, and using a sharp knife, slice down along the cob to remove the kernels, which will collect in the bottom of the pan.

Tomato Lime Sauce

Add fresh tomatoes into 6 cups of boiling water and boil them for 2 to 5 minutes until the skins have parted or come loose. Remove the tomatoes and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins. In a blender, liquify the tomatoes, then pour out into a bowl. Add the lime juice, cumin and oregano. Salt to taste and keep warm.

Plating

Place a chile on a serving dish, preferably a wide rimmed pasta plate. Spread a layer of beans on the bottom of the chile, then a layer of mushroom filling and lastly a layer of corn kernels. Garnish with cilantro. Carefully pour hot sauce around the chile and serve.