Chile Rellenos with a Healthy Twist

Typical chile rellenos are poblano peppers that have been stuffed with cheese and sometimes meat, then battered and fried. They are delicious but incredibly unhealthy like many of the standard TexMex fare tend to be. This recipe takes the idea of a chile relleno and makes it completely new and healthier by using quinoa, veggies, ground turkey instead of beef, and is drizzled with a light pecan cream sauce instead of cheese. It can easily by made vegetarian by omitting the turkey. It's not fried at all, but that's okay because the unique combination of flavors works on its own! You don't need cheese and butter to make things taste good!

Chile Rellenos with Pecan Cream Sauce

adapted from The Kitchn

4 poblano peppers

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

1/2 lb ground turkey or bison

1/2 onion, diced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup lowfat milk

1/2 cup pecans (toasting optional)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook the quinoa according to package directions and set aside.

Meanwhile, char the poblano peppers whole either directly over a gas flame (if you're lucky enough to have one) or under the broiler, for about 10 minutes, turning often. Place in a paper bag or sealed tupperware to steam. This will loosen the skin so it can be easily removed. The ease of removing the skin is directly proportional to the amount of time that it has been 1) under the broiler and 2) allowed to steam. Don't rush it. Letting it sit and steam has an added bonus that it will be cool enough to handle, so you don't burn the crap out of yourself trying to peel off the skin which I inevitably do. After peeling off the skin, cut a slit in the side and carefully remove the seeds.

Cook the meat in a skillet over medium heat. When it's about done, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, zucchini, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Instead of pepper flakes, I added a chopped up tabasco pepper leftover from my garden. Cook for a few minutes, then add the tomato and cook for a few minutes more, until heated through. Remove from the heat and add the quinoa and cranberries.

In a blender, combine the milk, sour cream, and pecans. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the poblanos on a dish, fill with the quinoa mixture, and top with pecan cream sauce. Serve warm (the poblanos and sauce cool off the quinoa which is good). I have a confession. I actually only stuffed one poblano pepper - the one for the picture. It's kind of a pain to do and I wasn't inclined to go through the trouble when I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I chopped up the rest of the poblanos and mixed 'em right into the quinoa. Tastes exactly the same, I hate to tell ya.