Quick meals

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LAYERED CHILE RELLANO: Surprisingly Easy!

Give a recipe to 100 different cooks and you’ll get 100 different variations of that recipe. We substitute ingredients, we add ingredients, we leave out ingredients, we change the methodology. Sometimes the finished product bears no resemblance to the original recipe.

Such is the case with my Chile Rellano recipe. It’s zucchini season in my garden which means I’m always looking for ways to use these fast growing beauties. The plan was to make Chile Rellano for dinner when I spied a 13″ zucchini lurking at the base of the plant. Yikes! One can only serve zucchini stir-fry or zucchini bread so often. Hmmm! I wondered aloud (yes, I talk to myself). How about layering zucchini slices in the Chile Rellano I was making. I like to live on the edge (or, at least, nearby), so I gave it a try. It turned out great!

NOTE: Recipe can be doubled or more – just use a larger casserole dish.

LAYERED CHILE RELLANO – made in a casserole dish about 10″ x 8″ (25cm x 20cm)

  • 3 poblano chili peppers
  • 286g (10 oz) pepper jack cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • about 400g (15 oz) zucchini
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 21g (2.5 T) flour
  • 22g (2 T) milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

SALSA for Chile Rellano – makes about 350ml (1.5 cups)

  • 192g (1.33 cups) salsa roja – homemade or purchased
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 12g (2T) masa harina
  • 1/4 tsp salt

NOTE: Zucchini is really optional. You can layer something else (such as eggplant) or, just leave that layer out entirely. It will be delicious either way!

First thing to do is roast the poblanos. This is so you can remove the skin. Lay washed chili peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler. Set a timer for a few minutes so you don’t forget them.

Once they begin to shrivel and blacken (after about 5 minutes) flip them and broil the other side. Remove them from the broiler and let cool a bit.

Lower oven to 350°F (180°C) to keep oven hot while you prepare the Layered Chile Rellano.

Peel away and discard the skin.

Cut peeled poblanos in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the stem end and seeds.

Tear the halves into smaller pieces so they can be fitted into the casserole dish.

Grate the cheese and separate into 3 fairly equal piles.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4″ (1/2cm) rounds.

Separate eggs by placing the yolks in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place the whites in the bowl of your electric mixer – NOT the small bowl of yolks! Beat whites on high to reach stiff peaks – about 1.5 minutes. (I you don’t have an electric mixer, beat by hand – it will take longer.)

In the small bowl of yolks, add the baking powder, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. Combine and pour into the beaten whites. On low speed (or by hand) add the yolk mixture and briefly combine. You don’t want to deflate the whites!

Pour approximately half of the egg mixture into the casserole dish, spreading it to evenly cover bottom.

Layer on half of the poblanos.

Layer half of the zucchini.

Layer 1/3 of cheese.

Layer on remaining poblano pieces.

Layer remaining zucchini.

Layer half of remaining cheese (one third of total cheese).

Pour on remaining egg mixture and spread to cover.

Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake UNCOVERED at 350°F (180°C) until browned on top – about 30 minutes.

Let set about 10 minutes or so before serving.

While Chile Rellano is setting, prepare the Rellano Salsa. It just take minutes. This can be done ahead of time, also.

Into a food processor, immersion blender, or regular pitcher blender, add the salsa, oregano, masa harina, and salt.

Blend – I’m using my immersion blender.

Done! As self proclaimed Queen Of Freeze I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t let you know this salsa freezes well. If you like it (try it first), double, triple, etc the recipe and freeze in portion sized containers for future use!

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RED LENTIL DAL: Quick & Versatile!

I’ve heard about cooks that don’t bother measuring nor weighing – they just throw in a little of this, a little of that and it turns out great. I’m NOT one of those cooks. I weigh everything, then write it down, noting if it was a good amount or how I could improve it next time.

Then I came across a youtube video from Chetna, a former contestant on The Great British Bake Off. Her video was about red lentil dal, which sounded delicious. For this recipe she gave no actual measurements – rather, just kind of described what they were: a couple of small onions, some cilantro, etc. So, I put on my big girl blouse and decided to wing it! I used her recipe as a guide, then changed things to suit what I had and what I like.

Of course, some things never change – I wrote down exact measurements of what I used and made notes of what I liked and what I’d change. All this is to say: use my recipe as a base, tweaking it as you see fit!

NOTE: I found plain yogurt to be a game changer for this recipe. While I liked the Red Lentil Dal that Chetna made (adding my own touches), I felt it needed something to brighten it. I topped it with yogurt and that made all the difference!

Red Lentil Dal – Makes about 4 cups / 1 litre

  • 250g (1.5g) red lentils, rinsed well
  • 750g ( 1.6) cups water
  • 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp table salt, DIVIDED
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 320g (about 2) onions, chopped
  • 2 large garlic clove, pressed or minced
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T (26g) butter
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 13g (2/3 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp chili-lime powder (or, chili powder)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 60g (1/2 cup) peas (I use frozen peas)
  • 170g (1 cup) raw rice
  • 400g (2 cups) water
  • plain yogurt

If you’re planning on serving Red Lentil Dal over rice, prepare it before starting. I find that 170g (1 cup) raw rice cooked in 400g (2 cups) water is a good amount to serve with this recipe.

Then chop and measure out your ingredients so they’re ready to go.

Into a saucepan combine the rinsed lentils, 750g (1.6 cups) water, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp turmeric. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover with lid askew so it doesn’t boil over. Cook, stiring now and then, until lentils start breaking up and are no longer crunchy – about 8 minutes.

As lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil and butter together in another saucepan or skillet over medium flame. Add in cumin powder, chili-lime powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir about 1 minute to bloom the flavor.

Add in onions and stir until golden.. Then add in garlic and saute another minute to bloom the garlic.

Add tomatoes and cook a few minutes to soften.

Combine the lentils and onion mixture into the bigger of the two saucepans. Add in the peas, 1/2 tsp salt, cilantro, and anything else you want to add. Heat to a simmer about 5 minutes to combine flavors. You can add some water if dal is too thick.

To serve, top rice with dal, then spoon on plain yogurt.

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FARRO VEGGIE STEW: Quick & Easy!

It’s getting to be that time of year when we start regretting that extra slice of holiday pie. Yes, swimsuit season is closing in. My FARRO VEGETABLE STEW is low in calories, easy to make, and adaptable to what you happen to have in the fridge or prefer.

NOTE: Even though this recipe is called Farro Veggie Stew, you can use a different grain that you might prefer. I did try quinoa, but didn’t care for it. However, taste is subjective. As they say now: you do you!

FARRO VEGGIE STEW – makes about 6 cups (1.5 litres)

  • 160g (1 cup) uncooked farro
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 170g (1.5 cups) onion, chopped
  • 80g (about 1 large) red pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 1/2 T paprika
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 675g (3 cups) vegetable stock – homemade or purchased
  • 232g (8 oz) Yukon Gold or red potatoes, unpeeled
  • 230g (1 cup) tomato sauce
  • 60g (1/2 cup) corn (frozen, canned, or from the cob)
  • 60g (1/2 cup green peas (frozen or canned)
  • 2-3 tomatoes (I like Roma), chopped
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you prefer)
  • OPTIONAL (RECOMMENDED!) TOPPINGS:
  • 80g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
  • 227g (1.25 cups) Feta cheese, crumbled

First thing to do, before any prep work, is to hydrate the farro. This gives a jump start to the cooking time.

Rinse the farro in a sieve. Pour drained farro into a bowl, cover with boiling water, then top with a plate to retain the heat. Set aside. Proceed with prep work and cooking.

Into a saucepan that can hold at least 6 cups (1.5 litres), saute the onions and red pepper in olive oil over medium/high heat for 5 minutes. Stir often.

Add garlic, paprika, coriander, and cumin. Stir over medium/low for 30 seconds to bloom the favors.

Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the soaking farro and discard liquid.

Into the pot, add the vegetable stock, potatoes, and drained farro. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 18 minutes.

Chop tomatoes.

After the 18 minutes are up, add tomato sauce, corn, peas, and chopped tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to heat the veggies.

Add in red wine vinegar and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste, bearing in mind the cheeses are salty.

Top with Feta, Pecorino Romano, croutons, or whatever you like. Serve.