I have been wanting to make a sweet pepper version of my take on chile rellenos. I've been mulling over this recipe in my head for a while, and finally found the inspiration when I acquired some really nice long tapered sweet peppers from a local farmer that I've developed a wonderful relationship with over the years. We started to visit Paul and Louise's farm when my daughter was 2 or 3, and she is now 10. I can just imagine now that many of my blog posts will involve some ingredients from Blue Skies Farm.
This stuffed pepper recipe is reminiscent of chile rellenos in its Mexican inspired flavor, and that it is accompanied with a tomato sauce. Chile rellenos translates as "stuffed chile", and although the most popular way we know chile rellenos to be prepared are deep fried masa-cornmeal batter coated, cheese filled poblano peppers, right? Turns out, there are many different recipes out there for chile rellenos, with all kinds of interesting stuffing combinations, so now my version just doesn't feel so weird anymore. Yet being vegan just makes it weird by default anyway, right? Well, if you cant get past that it isn't your abuela's recipe, and the flavor goes over your head filled with preconceived notions about vegan food, then you're missing out. This recipe has two components: the stuffed peppers and the sauce. This is not a quick and easy dish, and although it can be prepared from start to finish in about an hour and 45 minutes if you are strategic in your methods, this project will keep you busy rocking the kitchen for a bit. Start by making the quinoa.
1 1/2 C. Quinoa
1 3/4 - 2 C. water.
1/4 t. sea salt (smoked if you can find it)
1t. powdered Mexican Oregano.
Start by rinsing your quinoa in warm to hot tap water. Just measure your quinoa into the pan you will cook it in (a medium sauce pan) and run hot tap water over the quinoa and swirl it around. Use a fine wire mesh strainer so you don't loose the tiny high protein grains in the rinsing process. Drain and repeat a few times. Quinoa has a natural bitter coating called saponin, which is thought to act as a natural pesticide, since it doesn't taste very good. Well, needless to say, that bitter taste can make its way into your quinoa if you don't take the care to rinse it really well. After quinoa is rinsed, add fresh/filtered water, salt and oregano and cook on high until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook for only 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat but leave lid on the pot to continue to steam. You don't want to over cook quinoa or it will be mushy. After quinoa rests for another 5-10 minutes fluff with a fork and set aside until later.
While quinoa is cooking, there are other things to work on.
You will want to precook your peppers a little, so they are softened. There are a couple ways you can do this. Roasting them is one way, but I chose to steam them this time. Cut tops off the peppers, and reserve. Take seeds out of the peppers and gently scoop out any pith remaining in the cavity. Steam the peppers in a large pot, but don't cook too soft or they will rip apart when you stuff them. Cooking them in the oven after they are stuffed will cook them thoroughly.
Now, for the rest of the stuffing.
1/4 C. Canola Oil
2 medium onions, diced
diced peppers from the tops of each pepper.
3-4 cups chopped mushrooms (I used button, but some oyster or other mushrooms would be really good.)
1/2 paprika powder (smoked is nice)
2 t sea salt (smoked is also nice)
2 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t chili powder
dash black pepper
1 clove fresh garlic
3 cups fresh chopped spinach
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
1- 8oz. package of vegan cream cheese
cooked quinoa
Use a larger pot for this job, as you'll be adding lots of things as you go. Put the 1/4 of oil in the pot and turn on the heat on medium-high. Add chopped onion and saute while you chop the mushrooms. Add mushrooms and salt and spices and continue to cook on medium heat until the moisture diminishes (about 25 minutes) add the chopped garlic and quinoa and mix well. It helps if you add about 2/3 of the quinoa and mix in well, then add the rest and combine well. Then add in the chopped spinach, stirring to wilt and combine. Add the vegan cream cheese at this point, and mix in. The mixture should be very hot and the vegan cream cheese will just melt into the stuffing and make it creamy. Just add a bit of lemon juice to the mixture and its ready. Taste and add more salt if you like, keeping in mind the sauce will add its own flavor and saltiness. Remove from heat and get ready to stuff your peppers.
So there is another project that you should be working on while the onions and mushroom mixture is cooking. If you want to take a short cut, no one will know. I happen to have a lot of fresh tomatoes that I need to use that came out of my garden, so I fresh juiced them for this recipe. I also have a really nice juicer that I love to use, so any excuse to use it is open invitation! You can use caned tomato juice or canned crushed tomatoes. I have used Muir Glen Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes for this sauce before, and it adds a nice rustic flavor to your dish.
4+ C. Fresh tomato juice (or canned equivalent)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3-2/3 C. fresh chopped cilantro
1t. sea salt (smoked if you got it)
Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and simmer on medium heat while everything is cooking, stirring occasionally. My sauce reduced in volume by about half, and must have simmered about an hour or more. It simmered while the onion mushroom mixture cooked, and simmered while the peppers were in the oven, too.
Now that your stuffing is made, you can carefully stuff your peppers. Using a regular spoon, scoop a small amount into the pepper and gently press to the bottom. Keep filling peppers with stuffing until full. Continue stuffing all 4 peppers. There should be a bit of extra stuffing left over, cover the bottom of your square baking dish with the remaining quinoa, and cover with about a 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, then lay the peppers over the quinoa. Or you could do another pepper or two with this amount of extra stuffing.
Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Continue simmering sauce while peppers are cooking. And now your job is to take a break. Kick back with a glass of wine, or whatever you like and wait for the timer to go off.
Just before serving, chop another 1/4 cup of cilantro, and a couple scallions, and dice an heirloom tomato (I used a yellow one) to top and garnish the dish.
Take a couple ladles full of the sauce and make a pool on your plate. Place a stuffed pepper on the plate with an extra scoop of the quinoa stuffing, and top with scallions, cilantro and tomato. Enjoy!
Wowie, that is a gorgeous plate of food! Serve this to your skeptical friends, in-laws, or anyone who says vegan food is weird or gross, you'll turn some heads, tantalize some taste buds, and change some minds about vegan fare. Or you could just keep this gem to yourselves, more for you and your loved ones! Besides, it makes some great leftovers!
