Roasted Chile Rellenos ~ Stuffed w/Quinoa

I’ve loved chile rellenos ever since I first ate them at a little old lady’s house name Umparo in Sayulita, Mexico.  It’s grown, but at the time Sayulita was a super little village with only one restaurant… and Umparo.  When I was about 7 I’m pretty sure she was about 90… old, old and amazing.  Not a visit to Sayulita passed without a dinner at Umparo’s.  She’d make us meals in her teeny little home: one room, dirt floors, and a table smothered with food.  She was the ultimate cook- I’m pretty sure I owe most of my love and appreciation for Mexican cuisine to her- I’m talking real Mexican, not our Americanized version of cheesy enchiladas.

So back to rellenos… while I have never yet found any like Umparo’s, I have found some I do enjoy.  These days, the ones I like are roasted, rather than battered and fried.  I guess what they say is true- ignorance is bliss.  I’m not sure if it’s because battered can be, well battery- masking the flavor of the peppers, or if it’s because I know what’s in ’em and how unhealthy they are- either way, I seem to enjoy roasted chiles better.  Not only do you really taste the pepper and its filling, but you don’t have to feel bad eating it… bonus.These rellenos are stuffed with quinoa and cheese- to add some protein/nutrition, flavor, and texture.  They are topped with a chipotle asado sauce made with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle chiles… a must for this meal.  Asadero cheese is used a lot in rellenos, but since it can be hard to find, I used half monterey jack and half cotija- yummm.  You can really stuff whatever you want in chiles.  “Relleno” just means “stuffed” (it’s a stuffed chile) in Spanish… so this is one way, but there are many.  I obviously think this way is good… possibly even a new fave 🙂

DIRECTIONS
To prepare chiles…
Turn oven to broil
Place chiles directly on middle oven rack and cook the chiles,
turning every few minutes, until charred on all sides
*Alternatively, you can heat over direct flame to char

When they are crispy and blackish- remove from oven and let cool a wee

Gently peel off outer skin (the charred stuff) until the pepper is smooth and skinless
Be careful not to rip the pepper

The peppers may or may not look perfect at the end, but as long as
the skin is off and the pepper is roasted and in one piece you’re good!

Carefully slit open one side of the pepper, from stem to bottom
(If you accidentally ripped a small piece of the pepper while removing
skin, make cut there- I did on one and you wouldn’t even know!)

Remove seeds from peppers and discard
Set aside for later

Prepare adobo sauce…
Turn oven to 400 degrees
Quarter tomatoes

Chop garlic cloves into chunks
(you will be blending later)

Cut onion and toss in a bowl with tomatoes, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and oil

Spread out onto a baking sheet
Bake for about 20 minutes, until onion edges begin to blacken
(Keep oven on at 400 for later)

Transfer roasted veggies to food processor

Blend until smooth

Cut up about one tbsp of chipotle chiles with sauce
This is what gives it spice and a smoke flavor- add more if you want it spicier!

Add to sauce and blend until smooth

Transfer back to pot and turn heat to low
Add remaining thyme (the leaves) and milk
Stir and add salt and pepper, to taste- let cook for at least five more minutes
You have two choices now- you can transfer sauce to a jar or bowl to keep warm until serving (if you would like to reuse this same pot for the stuffing/have less dishes) or you can keep it in this pot to keep warm and get a new pot for stuffing…

Now prepare stuffing…
Rinse quinoa in a strainer

Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat
Saute onions (with a sprinkle of salt to help sweat) for a
few minutes, until softened

Add quinoa and cook until just beginning to become golden

Add broth and let cook until quinoa is fluffy and broth is absorbed, about ten minutes
(you made need to turn heat lower if it starts boiling- it should be hot, but not rumbling)

Once it is cooked, transfer quinoa to a bowl and let cool
Get your cheeses ready…

Stir cheeses, thyme leaves, salt, pepper, and egg yolks into quinoa

Remember those peppers we cooked and cleaned… it’s their finally time!
Place a large spoonful of the quinoa filling in each pepper

Fold over sides until seam is closed

Place stuffed peppers onto a baking sheet and bake
at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until hot and cooked
Meanwhile, get your fixings ready to serve…

Start by ladling adobo sauce on a plate, make a circle about as long as pepper

Place stuffed pepper on top of sauce

If you want, put some on top, also…

Spoon on some crema

Sprinkle with cotija cheese…

And some cilantro and serve
Obviously you can top it however you want, but that’s my way 🙂
Enjoy!!