ROASTED CHILES RELLENOS WITH BLACK BEANS

This spicy, flavorful dish is a must try if you like Mexican food and want to stay or become healthy. You can adjust the heat based on how many jalapenos you put into the sauce. Since cheese is so unhealthy and even most vegan cheeses contain oil, I did not top with cheese. My husband and staff loved it. I served them over rice but you could serve them alone or wrap a pepper in a tortilla.

The original recipe is by Chef Sylvia Fountaine of “Feasting At Home” recipe blog: Roasted chiles rellenos with black beans. My modifications included removal of oil and using a different vegan “ricotta” recipe.

Here’s how to pronounce Relleno and Poblano.

Listen to this 14 minute excerpt from a podcast with Dr. Neal Barnard about the adverse health effects of cheese: Cheese and Hormones | The Exam Room Podcast

ROASTED CHILES RELLENOS WITH BLACK BEANS

Ingredients

4–6 extra-large poblano peppers, leave whole with stems on (I used 8 poblanos)

6 ripe, medium tomatoes, Roma or vine-ripened, cut in half (I used 5 Roma and 1 regular tomatoes)

6 fat garlic cloves (If a clove was not “fat”enough I used 2 in its place)

one large onion, sliced into ½ inch wedges or slices

2 small jalapeños, cut in half (I like heat so used 2 but reduce if you want more mild)

Filling:

14 ounce can seasoned black beans, drained and rinsed, Cuban Style are nice (Mine were plain, unseasoned)

See Cilantro and Spinach “Ricotta” recipe below

Additional sauce ingredients:

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt (I used just 1/2 tsp)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1/4–1/2 cup water or broth, optional to achieve desired consistency (I used broth)

Instructions

READ DIRECTIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH BEFORE STARTING

Preheat oven to 450 F with rack in the middle. (If your oven runs hot you can heat to 425 F)
Roast the poblanos, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and jalapenos using two parchment paper lined baking sheets. Making sure they are not overcrowded. Check on them often after 15 minutes, removing each as they become softened and browned. (I flipped the peppers over after 20 minutes and it took 35 minutes before everything was done.) Lower oven heat to 425 F (I lowered to 375 F).
Make the “ricotta” filling using the recipe below. Place the “ricotta” in a medium bowl. Chop half of the roasted onion and mix in with the “ricotta.” Add the drained/rinsed beans and stir to mix well.
In a high speed blender place the remaining onions, tomatoes, pan juices, jalapeno, garlic, and all the additional sauce ingredients except for the broth. Blend until smooth. Add some vegetable broth to achieve desired consistency and blend again (I added 1/2 cup broth). Set aside.
You do not need to peel the poblanos (though I removed any skin that was black). Using a small knife, carefully cut a slit on one side of the poblano peppers from stem to pointy end. Using your fingers, gently remove most of the seeds then rinse them under cold running water to remove the rest.
Using a spoon, stuff the poblanos with the “ricotta.”
Pour a little of the roasted tomato sauce to coat the bottom of a 3 Quart glass or non-stick casserole dish (use about half the sauce). Place the peppers on top of the sauce, slit side up. Pour the rest of the sauce over top.
Cover with parchment paper then foil and bake 20-25 minutes at 425 F. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. (I baked at 375 F for a total of 45 minutes)
When serving may garnish with cilantro leaves, toasted pepitas and an oil-free vegan sour cream if you like. (I served over rice)