These colorful fruits have a sweet taste, a crunchy flesh, and a wealth of antioxidants and vitamin C. Their most common colors are green, orange, red, and yellow.
However, on more rare occasions, they also come in shades of dark purple, lavender, brown, and white. With such a wide variety of colors, bell peppers make a beautiful accent to everything from salads to fajitas to omelets. They also provide a satisfying crunch and an added boost of nutrition!
FoodWorks' Baked Chile Rellenos
6
servings1.5
hoursFor a healthier spin on the traditionally fried chile relleno, try this tasty, baked version! This recipe perfectly marries the hearty flavor of flame-charred pepper with the refreshing and herbaceous notes of lime and cilantro.
Ingredients
- Chile Relleno:
- 6
whole bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
- 2 cups
black beans, drained
- 2 cups
quinoa, fully cooked
- 1 cup
queso fresco
- ½ cup
fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2
limes, juiced
- 1
red onion, finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
- Poblano Pepper Sauce:
- 2
roasted poblano peppers, peeled and seeded
- ½ cup
vegetable stock
- ¼
orange juice
- 2
sprigs fresh cilantro
- 1
lime, juiced
- 1 tsp.
cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
To roast all peppers (for rellenos and for sauce), heat oven to 400 degrees or use a grill's open flame. As the peppers' skin blisters, rotate peppers until each side is fully charred.
Once fully charred, place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes, allowing them to continue self-steaming as they cool down.
Peel skin off all peppers under an open stream of water. Then slice poblano peppers open and de-seed and de-stem. Set poblanos aside for sauce.
Make small incision toward top of bell peppers, near stem, but without damaging stem. Insert spoon to de-seed each, leaving the whole pepper intact.
Combine the remaining chile relleno ingredients in a bowl and spoon the mixture into bell peppers until each is ¾ of the way full, saving the rest.
Lay stuffed peppers flat in a baking dish, incision side down. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until baked through.
While stuffed bell peppers are baking, make poblano pepper sauce: combine poblano peppers with all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a touch of cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
To plate, spoon sauce in a smear across the plate, top with a bed of the remaining chile relleno mixture and set stuffed peppers on mixture. Garnish with cilantro.
Facts about Bell Peppers
Did You Know?
Bell Peppers are technically fruits because they bear seeds, though they are considered vegetables in the culinary world.
Storing Wisdom:
Green peppers are younger, less ripe versions of the red and orange varieties, and therefore tend to last a bit longer. Keep peppers in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for one to two weeks or slice and freeze to use in recipes later.
How to Choose:
Look for well-shaped, glossy, firm peppers with no wrinkles, sunken areas, or discolored spots. They should feel dense, indicating thick meat and juiciness.
