A Night on the Border

My absolutely favorite Tex-Mex food is Chiles Rellenos, but I like them vegetarian. This is another easy, Wednesday night family recipe that you can fill out with Mexican rice and canned refritos if you don't have a pot of beans around the house. All recipes are for 4.

You need an outstanding green chile salsa to serve with them and that recipe follows.

4 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
1 (2 second) spray nonstick cooking spray
1 cup low-fat Cheddar, shredded
1 cup tomato salsa

Place a wire rack over a burner on the stove. Roast the poblanos on the rack and turn with tongs until blackened evenly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a medium heavy nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, tomatoes, green chiles and corn. Continue to cook until the mixture is almost dry.

Meanwhile, use a paper towel to rub off the skins from the poblanos. Make an incision on 1 side, and remove seeds and membranes from inside, while making sure to keep the poblano intact.

Heat a medium heavy nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with canola cooking spray for 2 seconds. Evenly stuff the 4 poblanos with the zucchini mixture and the shredded cheese.

Carefully place the stuffed poblanos in the heated saute pan and sear on each side for approximately 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with salsa.

Green Chile Salsa

1clove garlic
1 thick slice white onion
1 Roma (plum) tomato
1 tomatillo
3 poblano chiles
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro -- roughly chopped
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin -- toasted and ground

Pan roast garlic until brown and soft, then peel. Pan roast onion until brown and soft, then roughly chop. Pan roast tomato until blistered, deeply browned, and soft. Pan roast tomatillo until blistered, browned, and soft. Pan roast poblano chiles until dark brown, then remove seed cores.

Place the garlic, onion, tomato, tomatillo, and chiles in a food processor and pulse briefly until finely chopped. Add the water, cilantro, salt and cumin and process again until blended. Keeps, tightly covered, about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

If you have any left after dinner, the salsa is fabulous with lime flavored tortilla chips.