Saturday, November 17, 2007

Chiles Rellenos Tostadas

I'm trying to come up with low-fat, healthy versions of some of my favorite foods. I love, love, love, LOVE chiles rellenos, but my metabolism doesn't like fried food anymore.

So, here's what I've come up with. It's kind of a combination of Chile Rellenos and Tostadas.

you need:
4 anaheim or poblano peppers
4 chunks of chihuahua, jack, or even swiss cheese (small enough to fit inside peppers)
2 cups refried beans
4 corn tortillas
2 cups enchilada sauce
lettuce, sour cream, or other favorite Mexican toppngs

1. Char, bag, and then peel peppers (I do it on the grill, but you can also do it in the broiler or even on a gas stovetop. You just place peppers near an open flame until they blister all over, then let them steam inside a plastic bag for 15 minutes. Then, you gently peel the skin off and rinse carefully.) Note, this is how you do any hot peppers for Mexican cooking.

2. Carefully, slit one side of the pepper. Gently remove the seeds and membranes, or leave them in for more heat.

3. Place chunk of cheese inside pepper. Use toothpick to close pepper.

4. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, then cook tortillas, flipping to cook both sides, until crispy.

5. Assemble "rellenos." Place tortillas on a plate, then top with beans, pepper, and then enchilada sauce.

6. Place under broiler for 5 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

7. Top with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, or whatever else you like.

This is actually pretty good for a healthier version of a favorite dish. You get the crunchiness from the tortilla, the heat from the pepper, and the creamy smooth melted cheese, minus the fried part.