Veg Fresh Chile Relleno

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 lg. roasted poblano peppers

8 oz. Pepperjack meltable , recipe follows

1 Batch Herbed Red Pepper Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

 

Make Pepperjack meltable cheese and follow recommended cooling technique for cheese. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Before proceeding, make sure that all skin is removed from the poblano pepper. Carefully make a long slit in pepper, leaving stem attached to pepper. Gently clean out all seeds. It helps to do this under running water. Stuff each pepper with 2oz of cheese. Place peppers seam side up on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake peppers until cheese is thoroughly melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes. 

 

To serve: Ladle 1/4 cup of sauce onto plate. Place pepper over sauce and ladle another 1/8 cup of sauce over pepper. Garnish with fresh avocado and crema.

 

Meltable Pepperjack:

This is soft, spreadable cheese that melts wonderfully when cooked. It works great in quesadillas, enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, or simply served with crackers. Allow cheese to firm a minimum of 2 hours before using in recipes.

 

Mince and set aside:

2 red Fresno peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1 serrano pepper

 

Place in saucepan:

1 cup filtered water

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 T +2 tsp. agar flakes or 4 tsp. agar powder

½ of the minced pepper mixture

Whisk mixture and bring it to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and let mixture slowly simmer for 4 minutes. Take off heat.

 

Put agar/milk mixture in blender with the following ingredients:

½ cup cashews, soaked for 2+ hours and rinsed

4 tsp. nutritional yeast

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. Himalayan salt

1 tsp. alderwood smoked salt

 

Blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining pepper mixture and pulse a few times to incorporate. Pour into greased cupcake tins or molds. Refrigerate. Cheese will become firm after 2 hours in the refrigerator. If cheese is to be used in a recipe, place amount to be used in a bowl. Place bowl in the freezer for a quick cooling of cheese. The freezer changes the consistency of the cheese, so only do this if the cheese is going to be cooked again within a recipe.

 

HERBED RED PEPPER TOMATO SAUCE:

Sauté in small saucepan:

 

2 T red pepper, chopped

1 T onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. olive oil

 

Add:

1/2 can (7.5oz) fire roasted tomatoes, pureed in blender

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1T fresh cilantro, chopped

1T fresh basil, chopped

1T fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 t dried oregano or 2T fresh oregano, chopped

3/4t Himalayan salt

 

Let sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes. Simmer long enough for the flavors to meld without cooking out the freshness of ingredients. Take off heat.