Mexican food that is not covered in cheddar cheese... Yes, Portland, it does exist!

For those of you who have ever made your way to the Southwest, specifically Arizona, you know that Mexican food is delicious and abundant.  We're not talking Taco Bell (aka the place where once delicious food goes to die) or On The Border (generic chain with mediocre chips and salsa).  We're talking legit food made from scratch and salsa that isn't afraid to burn your tongue a little.  Sure, it may often come from a shady looking building that can fit, at most, 10 people inside, but taste buds don't lie.  Being an Arizona native, I consume hot sauce like it's water, and poblano peppers are a dietary staple.  Growing up, my father's night to "cook" always meant take-out from El Bravo, and while living on my own, I ate crispy shelled, shredded beef tacos like many American families eat fast food cheeseburgers- at least once a week, but often more.  Upon moving to Portland, although I had braced myself for the lack of Mexican food, I didn't realize how much I'd miss it.  Apparently, tacos with crispy shells are offensive in Portland because almost nobody makes them.  Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a tasty baja-style fish or shrimp taco, maybe even the occasional carnitas taco on a freshly made corn tortilla, but I firmly believe that beef tacos require a satisfying crunch that can't be found in a soft shell.  So far, the only place we've found that comes close to doing them justice is Muchas Gracias, a fast food-ish chain, of all places.  Anyway, my point is that good Mexican food is difficult to find up here in the Pacific Northwest, so if we want the good stuff, we're going to have to make it ourselves.  
I don't attempt to make the hard shell tacos I crave because I do, believe it or not, try to maintain a fairly healthy, grease free kitchen.  These days, our trips to Muchas Gacias are reserved for the occasional splurge.  Over the summer, Eddie, my fiance, and I have managed to grow a bountiful garden of various herbs, poblano and tomatillo peppers, and tomatoes on our little apartment balcony.  We also joined some friends in a bit of a weight loss challenge in preparation for our wedding, so we have made a conscious effort to create delicious meals utilizing our fresh veggies (we have eaten a LOT of pico de gallo!) while minimizing calories.  To do this, we have to focus on the flavors (peppers, onions, slowly marinated meat, etc.), but change up the techniques a bit.  One of our recent favorites is my non-battered, non-fried, but extra delicious chile rellenos.  I took the idea from the Food Network and put my own spin on it. Please know that when I cook, I rarely measure my ingredients, so things like the amount of olive oil and water/ stock are all estimates.  Use your best judgement.  This is one of those recipes, like a salad, where you really can add whatever you think sounds good.  Use my recipe as a guideline, but don't be afraid to get a little adventurous!  Also, be sure to check out my recipe for Portobello Black Bean Enchilada Stacks in my first post.  Yum!

Quinoa Stuffed Chili Rellenos (serves 2)
2 large poblano peppers
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp cumin
olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 portobello mushroom
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup queso fresco (you can also do a mix of queso fresco and cheddar)
Golden raisins or dried apricots, diced (optional)

Verde Sauce
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5-6 roasted tomatillos (Quantity depends on the size of the tomatillos.  If they're small, you may want to double the amount.)
1-2 green peppers such as anaheim or poblano (anaheim tends to be a little spicier than poblano)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water or chicken stock + extra for thinning

Directions:

Set your oven's broiler to high.
Roast the peppers by  placing them directly on the top oven rack (leave the husks on the tomatillos) and leaving for just a few minutes.  When the skin on the peppers starts to darken and blister, turn them over.  Check the peppers frequently.  When all sides of the peppers are dark and blistered (but not burnt), remove them from the oven and place them in either a pot with a lid or an airtight container.  Set aside for about 5 minutes, then the skin should peel off easily.

Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Husk the tomatillos and remove the skins of the poblanos, being careful to leave the peppers in tact.  Set the tomatillos aside.  Remove the seeds of the poblanos by make one long slice the length of the pepper, then gently cut out the center pod containing the seeds.  Set the peppers aside while you make the filling.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  *For an extra punch of flavor, you can substitute half a tablespoon of reserved bacon grease and half olive oil. The smell of bacon and onions cooking together is magnificent! Add in the onions. Cook, stirring regularly, until onions are slightly translucent.  sprinkle in cumin and combine with the onions.  Stir in the quinoa and raisins or apricots.  Allow the quinoa to toast for 3-5 minutes, then season with salt and black pepper.  Pour in enough water to cover 2 inches over the quinoa mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until all the water is absorbed into the quinoa.  Allow the mixture to cool be spreading it on a baking sheet and setting it aside.

In a clean pan, sautee the mushrooms in approx. 2 tsp. of olive oil, and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cooled quinoa mixture, mushrooms, cheese, and egg yolks.  Fill the peppers with the mixture until they are very full.  Place the peppers in a square baking dish, then cook them in the oven for about 20 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  This should basically be the consistency of enchilada sauce- not super runny, but thin enough to pour over the dish.  If you find the sauce is too thick, you can add water or chicken stock in small amounts until you achieve the desired consistency.  Also, if you prefer a creamy sauce, you can add in a 1/4 cup of light sour cream.

When the rellenos are ready, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes.  Ladle a shallow pool of the green sauce onto each plate, place your rellenos on the plate, then cover with the remaining sauce.  In the picture above, I served this with black beans and sliced tomatoes (because Eddie loves them).

Enjoy and please let me know if you have any suggestions!