Spring Veggies and Barley Salad with Basil Tahini Dressing

It is May 1st in New England and it is dreary and cold and I am grumpy about it, goshdarnit! Last night, I went to an outdoor sporting even wearing jeans with tights, a sweater, two shirts, a down jacket, a down vest, a hat, and gloves, like it was November, and I was still cold. To simply say that I'd like spring to actually spring would be a disservice to my desire to see sunshine and brilliant shades of green, though I have to believe it's coming...soon. Please? I've had it with you, sort of cold and dreary and not nearly the violently green spring I miss! I'm making it happen inside if it won't happen outside. From my kitchen to your eyes (and my mouth), here be a salad that channels my plea to Mother Nature: green, puh-lease?

Spring Veggies and Barley Salad w/Basil Tahini Dressing

Serves 6-8 as a side, 4-6 as a meal

Spring Veggies and Barley Salad with Basil Tahini Dressing

Salad

1 cup dry barley

3.5 cups water

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 cup halved sungold or other cherry tomatoes

2 cups cut asparagus

¾ cup frozen peas

4 cups baby spinach/kale

Salt & pepper & a dash of EVOO

Dressing*

½ + cup basil

1 clove garlic

Juice and zest of one lemon, +1 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup tahini

¼-½ cup warm water

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 scallion

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat over to 400 and roast cauliflower tossed with a dash of oil and salt and pepper for 30 minutes until beginning to brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Fill a saucepan with 3.5 cups of water and barley and cook until mostly done according to package directions, roughly 50 minutes.  

3.  *Combine dressing ingredients in a cuisinart, blend until it is well combined and mostly green with very few flecks of basil.  Start with ¼ cup water and add a little more or some more lemon juice to help it combine.  

3.  When barley is mostly done and water is mostly cooked off, add asparagus and frozen peas to the barley pot, and cook covered for about 3 minutes.  Turn heat off, but stir, and leave covered for about 2 more minutes or until peas are not frozen and asparagus is blanched and a brilliant shade of green.  

4.  Add barley mix to cooled cauliflower, tomatoes and greens and stir to combine.  Add dressing in layers and continue to mix.  Taste, and probably add a little more salt.  

6.  Serve as a side or as a main warm or chilled...suggestions below in the notes!  

Notes:

Warm Dijon and Balsamic Lentil Salad with Soft Eggs

It is the first day of fall.  Rejoice! Even though fall is probably my favoritest season, I'm usually a bit more put out by the end of summer, but I had an admittedly odd one and am very much looking forward to this fall and seasonal changes and getting back to running around outside to enjoy the crisp air!  Also, Thanksgiving.  But I'm getting ahead of myself with that.  September is a great time of year because there is still so much wonderful, fresh, delicious summery produce, but there is a little chill to the air that makes me want to eat warming foods again.  

I have a great recipe for a lentil farro salad I have yet to post, but that's a really summery meal, what with cukes and cherry tomatoes and basil and like...served chilled and all.  It's not what I want on a night when you can feel the changing seasons and suddenly find yourself thinking about warm cider donuts, crisp apples, knee high brown boots, and drapey sweaters instead of cranking up the AC for the first time in months. I had all the ingredients for my cold lentil farro dish, but just wasn't in the mood, and decided to switch it up and go for a warm one, with a little balsamic and a nice soft egg.  It uses a lot of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, some dijon, and a lot of patience not to sample it all before you serve it.  I think it's a good way to ease yourself from one season to the next!

Warm Dijon and Balsamic Lentil Salad with Soft Eggs

Serves 4-6

Warm Dijon and Balsamic Lentil Salad

Green Beans ala Carter

You be aware that President Jimmy Carter, he of the peanut farming and Iran hostage crisis, and a heck of a lot of good deeds done around the world (there's that small honor of a Nobel Peace prize or something), announced just a few days ago that he has cancer.  

Source: ushistory.org

I'm saddened to hear that and hope he has good people around him and that recovery is in the cards so he can keep doing said good deed around the world. Who can't get behind a guy who belongs to a gang of geriatrics called the Elders? Those punks push world peace, you guys!  

I made this green bean dish a few weeks ago for my Presidential themed potluck, where I also made Michelle Obama's Minty Spring Pea Salad. Green beans, it turns out, were noted in a few places as one of Carter's favorite foods. Factoring in the peanut farming was easy enough, and voila! Green beans ala Carter.

Green Beans ala Carter

Coconut Lime Brown Rice and Things

 For a while a few weeks ago, I was inexplicably craving brown rice - inexplicable because I’ve never really been a fan of rice, except when it is lovingly embracing or being embraced by pieces of raw fish, which I recognize me makes me a diagnosable weirdo, but also is a vote for sushi, so we're calling it a draw.  This lead to an impulse purchase of a big box of rice, which then led me to be like: “Riiiight.  Now I have a giant box of rice...what now.”  It was also hot, which leads me to want things like fruit and fresh veggies and cold salads.  I had also been attempting to get rid of a bag of dried unsweeted coconut for what felt like the entire gestation period of an elephant, and didn’t want to walk to the grocery store to get other stuff.  What resulted was a grab bag of “what’s in the house that I can use?”  Hence, I messed around, and came up with this delicious mess.  It’s a great quick meal and should keep for about 3 days in the fridge!  You could probably easily also eat it hot...but it’s summer.  Make this, put some super super dry rose in the freezer until it gets a little slush-y, and voila: summer dinner.

Coconut Lime Brown Rice & Things

Makes roughly 3-4 servings

Coconut Lime Brown Rice and Things

Recipe: Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Soup

This is the soup I tried to make unsuccessfully for years.  I don't know what went wrong or why I wouldn't just admit what I was craving when I wanted warming spices, vegetables, tender raisins, coconut hints, and lentils was just straight up mulligatawny, but I went off course a few times before sorting myself out enough to make a straight mulligatawny that was delicious, warming, full to bursting of flavor, and just plain self high-five worthy.  It was so tasty that when my coworker was out under the weather, I knew it was just the thing to bring in the dead of four feet of Boston winter to warm her up.  


But before I do tell you about the recipe, let me tell you a little story.  

All zero of you reading this may recall that I spent roughly five years working to realize a one year New Years resolution.  You know, that time I made 52 recipes in my Le Creuset.  Well, roughly three days after posting my reflections on the completion of said resolution, the.worst.thing.ever.happened.

My Le Creuset broke.

(Freekeh) Red Lentil Mujadara: Recipe 2

Freekeh Red Lentil Mujadara

 I envisioned this post would be about warming foods in cooler fall temperatures.  In fact, there were cooler fall temperatures when I made this a few weeks ago in late September.  Back then, all I could think about was how I was suddenly cold all time time, how good Honeycrisp apples are, when the leaves were going to explode, and as always, what I would have for dinner.  Every day, guys.  Every. Day.  But then, we seemed to have a resurgence of late summer weather, and despite thinking about what I wanted to eat for dinner every day, all day, it just seemed weird to suggest  a warming, cozy dish when turning your fan back on or false starting on breaking out your fall-weight sweaters and jackets, even if the colors in New England are exploding this year (dinner thoughts: what else can I put hummus on?).  It also seems like great timing as I spent some quality time with good friends in New Hampshire last weekend, hiking, cooking, and country fairing it up as we generally enjoyed New England at its best.  Bonus pictures of adorable baby oxen/steer/cows at the bottom of the post.  Can you tell I'm from the 'burbs?

Is there anything as good as Medjool dates, besides a giant bowl of Medjool dates?
Trick question: you already knew the answer was no. 

This apple, guys.  

Today seems like an appropriate day for to finally post this, though.  It's cool and overcast in Boston, there are leaves everywhere (which may or may not be a player in the creation of a sprained ankle that appeared early on Friday morning...other contenders include a crack in the sidewalk, clumsiness, badweekitis...all in all, should make the half I'm running in four weeks really, really easy, right?), and it is October, after all.  Anyways, enjoy this warming Middle Eastern inspired dish.  I tried it with Freekeh, because I like to say it and also: Halloween! Freaks! Works, right?  But: traditionally it's made with bulgur, and I think I might make it with farro next time (because it is the bestest).  It's simple, relatively quick, and filling.  It goes well with fall, friendship, and viewings of Outlander (omg omg omg you guys, it's actually GOOD.  SQUEE.  Also: phew!).  

(Freekeh) Red Lentil Mujadara

Serves 4-6

Freekeh Red Lentil Mujadara

Roasted Cauliflower and Eggplant Soup aka Cloud Soup (Recipe 8)

Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Soup (aka Cloud Soup)

I've been wanting to try to learn to cook with new ingredients that I don't really understand the whoseit whatits of, other than that they taste awesome when other people do.   I'm looking at you, restaurants of the Japanese/Indian persuasion!  We also know that when I get an idea in my head to do something, Ima do it.  I have been digging roasted cauliflower (is cauliflower is totally the darling of the foodie blogs/magazines/restaurants this fall-winter season or is it just me?) and am always partial to roasted eggplant, but if you remember, I wasn't totally sold on the recipe I adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  It's also North Pole cold in Boston, with a windchill of snot freezing in your nose (seriously, that's a real science term.  But wind gusts of like 30 mph in 24 degrees?  No thanks.  Guess who was grumpy for ten miles on the treadmill today as a consequence?). 

I digress, as usual.  Miso has always been something I've enjoyed, and attempting the combination of all these great things seemed a worthy pursuit.  PLUS, I just finished Ketchup Clouds, a new to us, but not new to the UK title (review to come), and thought this would be a respectful homage (or to any other book involving clouds - I'm drawing a blank)...but really, I didn't need any more excuses besides my belly.  I also really love the cover (and maybe want that dress).  So this afternoon, off I trudged to the grocery store to get some vitals after said terrible treadmill ten, bundled up to my eyeballs.  The first grocery store failed to have miso.  The second grocery store failed to have miso, which was just insulting as I'd walked a mile there in windgusts that whipped my bag off my shoulder.  At this point, I became embittered by the hardships I was facing (and also the wind), nutted it up, got a Zip Car, and done what I should have done in the first place instead of gambling on my local (insert choice explictative here) grocery store: rented a Zip Car to go to a far away place known as Whole Foods where they would have all the things and will make you pay double for them.  Oh, they didn't just have one kind of miso.  They had like EIGHT for me to choose from.  Take note, local grocery stores!  

At this stage, this soup may be the most unattractive,
unappealing thing you'll see all day.  Seriously, are those frog eggs?
Brains? Diced octopus in red mud or blood? Gross. 
Stick with it. 

Anyways.  Rant over.  The soup was totally worth the crazy $20 for miso odyssey, and it's surprisingly quick and low maintenance to prepare.  Pop the things in the oven, pop the things in a pot, blend away, enjoy.  Not too much cleanup, unless you get overzealous with your blending like moi and Pollock your wall!  I will say that I  hoped it'd be a more...white shade of cloudy, for the effect!  I don't know if it's the roasting, the eggplant seeds, or the broth (the broth I used was rather brown, though I suspect other brands may be more light in color).  I think the garnish of sesame seeds really helps complete the cloudy look though; they're like tiny raindrops all over the soup!  I'd strongly recommend this recipe for a terribly bitter day or a meeting of your book club when your book is either Ketchup Clouds, or say, a cloud themed book.  Seriously drawing an embarrassing blank...feel like I'm missing an obvious choice!

Roasted Cauliflower and Eggplant Soup
(aka Cloud Soup)

Recipe 9: Butternut Farro Risotto with Beans, Spinach, and Mushroom

Butternut Farro Risotto with
Beans, Spinach and Mushrooms.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that I’ve been neglecting my blog of late...it’s been a super busy overworked, overbooked, overtired kind fall until recently, and I’m not quite sure how that happened.  My goal was to do as much reading, cooking, and updating as possible, and I’ve met approximately zero of these goals.  The beginning of the school year always seems nuts, but this was like every kind of nut, crushed together, rolled in more nuts, roasted with more nuts, and served on top of nuts.  I also cleverly started upping my mileage for an upcoming half, and while my talents do include travel to South Beach occasionally, they do not include cooking and running, reading and running, copying and pasting links and running...running and running is about as much of a motor skill challenge as I can handle at a time.  

Some of the terrible sights to see
while running in my hometo

This has meant that I’ve also been fairly lazy in the kitchen, mostly doing quick sautes of veggies for dinner when I’m getting home late, along being a gym nerd and trying to up my protein intake.  I was feeling kind of bad about not cooking almost anything of substance in a while, and uninspired to boot, until my good friend Bean had me and some other lovely ladies over for dinner on Friday.  Bean is an awesome cook, and made a really fabulous recreation of a butternut farro salad from the Smitten Kitchen.  I have been intrigued by using alternative grains, because they have a lot more nutritional value than normal rice, grits, or pastas.  I’m especially excited about farro because it has a ton of fiber and protein (perhaps I should have thrown up a nutrition nerd alert?), and it actually tastes good - almost nutty.  I should also note that Bean is a former roomie from the Kilsyth days, and is responsible for bringing a delicious butternut risotto into our lives that became a frequent recipe request.  It was tweaked and recreated from and original recipe in the Vegetarian Food For Friends cookbook.  I was so inspired by both that I thought I’d try and see if I could turn out a similar risotto using farro, and perhaps adding some extra goodness to it to see if I could make it a meal in a bowl.  

A Cooking Light recipe for Farro Risotto with Mushrooms confirmed I could, so I added mushroom in its honor, spinach because we're questing for delicious here team, and then figured some beans would be a tasty source of protein - so I added the beans for Bean!  This turned out to be what I think might be one of my greatest ever creations.  It’s warm, warming, filling, and delicious.  It’s hard to put down your utensils.  Eat it all fall and winter, preferably with good friends and awesome wine (it seems to pair well with Chianti and Montepulciano)!  

Caps off to you if you make this delicious dinner!
Butternut Farro Risotto with Beans, Spinach, and Mushroom

Butternut Farro Risotto with Beans, Spinach, and Mushroom

Serves 4-6

Recipe 9: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

 I don't know when, where, or how this recipe idea came into my head, but I do suspect why. This summer started sweaty, and suspect that may have had something to do with it!  But what sane person is all "yeaaaah, sweet potatoes cold!" Can you think of any other one thing that is a regular and also cold sweet potato based dish, because all I'm coming up with are things that are not good served cold: sweet potato casserole, sweet potato fries, baked sweet potatoes, soups, etc.  You get the idea.  As a disclaimer, I'm really not a huge fan of the humble, servicable pot-a-toe.  I appreciate it.  I'll eat them, sometimes.  Thanksgivingtimes.  The same goes for things with cream included.  But I've grown increasingly fond of throwing sweet potatoes into things, and rather like them. And I did really want a cold soup that wasn't a gazpacho. Good thing I'm not sane though, amirite?!?

Where it all starts: the glamorous kitchen sink.

Somehow, somewhere, sometime in July, while probably lying in my bathtub for my 10th freezing shower of the day, inspiration struck: what about a cold soup with something I like - sweet potato?   In fact, as I started to explore options and do research to find out if it would be possible (I really hate wasting food), I was surprised that not too many sources had tried something like this.  My only two solid leads were Marcus Samuelsson and Design Love Fest.  It may have taken way longer to actually get around to making this soup, but it was worth it when I did, and I'm glad that I've got enough frozen that I can defrost and easily make a quick lunch or dinner of it.  I'm fairly certain it'll taste pretty good hot, but why mess with a good thing? 

 
It's filling, mild to spicy, and easy to adapt as you want.    I really loved it with a garnish of scallions, a dash more of cayenne, and a hearty dash of soy.   Consider this your base, and get creative for other iterations of it (chipotle? peanuts? WHY NOT), or with toppings.  I've already been mentally cooking up version 2.0.   We're getting close to the tail end of it, so why not try this lovely orange hued soup during the dog days of summer in September?

Notes: I planned to freeze and keep it, so I immediately ruled out using cream, despite it being a vichyssoise; cream just gets disgusting when frozen and defrosted.  Nobody wants to eat baby vomit!  This mostly vegetarian (if you use vegetable stock, or 100% vegan if you use oil instead of the butter) recipe does freeze and keep well.  

First blend: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

Second blend: Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

Recipe:

Recipe 9: Asparagus, Ricotta, Lemon Soup

Spring is still springing, and I can’t stop thinking about green, and bright things, like sunshine.   I realized last week that I hadn’t had nearly enough asparagus this spring, and was fixing to just get some and roast it, when I met some friends at a local watering hole with nibbles on the menu, saw a chilled asparagus ricotta soup on the menu and promptly failed to order it.  I mean...what was I thinking?  Huge fail.  I should probably also add that sometime in the past month I also developed an overwhelming, inexplicable, and insatiable craving for ricotta.  Double what was I thinking, right?  

Not ordering it was probably the best thing I did all month.  Why?  Because I had to have it, guys.  I just had to.  You know how it is!  I promptly started recipe plotting in the background of my life, and realized that this recipe would be a real winner.  It is super easy.  It is super quick.  It is super simple.  It is (probably) super healthy, being comprised primarily of vegetables.  And, amigos, it is a super celebration of a lot of the things that are the most delicious parts of spring: the green colors, the bright flowers, the sunshine, the spring vegetables, the crisp and warming air, the ricotta (okay, fine, this one is an every season thing).  

Prep probably takes longer than cooking (if you have maybe just tripped over a root while on a run, skinned your hand, and rage cried your pain out in a public place; this will, I assure you, slow things down considerably), but the rest of the process is probably a 30 minute cooking and blending window.  If you are a fast chopper, you’ll probably disagree with the previous statement.  All in all, I give it an over under of about an hour well spent on the road to springtime delight.  The best part?  This soup tastes great hot or cold.  That is to say, it is a rare soup that tastes the same hot or cold.  It just depends on how you want to eat it!  Options!

I have only two other tips besides be careful out there runners; roots can be real witches with a b.  Tip the first is to start with 5 cups broth, and add a bit more, up to 6 cups if you feel you need it for the soup to blend well, or want it to be more liquid than solid.  Tip the second?  I used store bought ricotta.  If you use fresh ricotta, I have a sneaking suspicion this will blow your mind.  If you are able to use fresh, and then are able to form a sentence, do tell me if my suspicions are sound.  Bueno?  

Asparagus, Ricotta, and Lemon Soup

Recipe 10: Minted Roasted Cauliflower and Pea Soup with Lemon

Minted Roasted Cauliflower and
Pea Soup with Lemon

Spring is finally hitting New England with the same glee as the snowstorms seemed to show allllll winter long.   One of my favorite things in spring?  Green.  It's everywhere (or will be, soon), especially in the produce.  Asparagus, peas, spinach...you name it, I want to dress it up with some bright lemon juice and gorge myself on it!  Since starting this project, nigh on a million years ago, I've had some recipes for soups with cauliflower I'd done nothing with, and was waiting for an opportunity to try.  While on my London trip, I had an excellent lamb roast dinner with some mint sauce and delicious peas...which made me think that if I combined the cauliflower, peas, mint, and lemon, I might, just maybe, be on the cusp of the spring soup I've been dreaming of.

It is, indeed, pretty great.  I had googled the idea when I had it, and as far as I know only one other person has been enough of a genius to try!  I took mine in a slightly different direction by roasting the cauliflower and lightly caramelizing the onions first; I love roasted cauliflower and wanted to try to get soem of that flavor into the soup.   I made mine entirely vegetarian, but you can easily use a chicken stock if you prefer.  You can even keep it vegan by eschewing the dairy mix-ins at the end!  If you do, you can dress it up with the roasted nuts of your choice, and maybe some avocado.  If not, I tried it with Greek yogurt, parmesan  and goat cheese, and there was no clear winner.  I wound up using both the yogurt and parmesan when I served it, and think it was a solid choice.   Serve it with some nice crisp white wine (a Vinho Verde would be awesome) and a crispy, crunch piece of warm bread!  

With their powers combined...

Topping taste test in progress!

Minted Roasted Cauliflower and Pea Soup with Lemon

Recipe 19: Calabaza Queso Casserole (aka Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Black Beans, Kale, Tomato, and Chili)

With their powers combined, you
too can have a delicious dinner!

I'll admit it.  I'm on a pumpkin bender.  But you know what?  I'm okay with that!  You will be too be when you try all of these recipes.  

While eagerly devouring my leftover Spicy Pumpkin Chili last week, I had the genius idea to put it on my leftover macaroni and cheese.  It was a very, very delicious decision.  Which made me ponder if I could hybridize the whole recipe.  And so I did, working from the recipe I often use to make really tasty mac and cheese.  

Making an appearance with my
experimentalpumpkin banana bread.

Below is what I came up with, using black beans instead of red kidney beans, and using double the kale and none of the meat.  I'm pretty confident you can throw in anything you want here and be fine.  I'd also like to encourage you to use three instead of my two cups of pasta, since this is a weird baked mac and cheese, not just a weird baked pumpkiny cheese chili-flavored kale thing.  

Feel free to add more cheese - the pumpkin cuts it a bit, so if you're all about the queso, don't hold back, Monterrey Jack!  If you try other ingredients in the fixin's mixture, let me know how it turns out!  I have a sneaking suspicion it'll taste delicious with sausage, different beans, spinach, bacon, etc.  By all means, get crazy with this!   It tastes awfully good with some extra cheese and sriracha...

Calabaza Queso Casserole
Serves 4-6

Calabeza Queso Casserole
(aka Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Black Beans, Kale, Tomato, and Chili)

Ingredients

Fixin's

3 cups rotini pasta

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

16 oz cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 4 oz can chopped green chilis

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne (more or less depending on taste)

1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Sauce

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

3 cups milk

16 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (save some to sprinkle on the top)

2-4 oz goat cheese (add more if you want it cheesier, duhs)

15 oz pumpkin (one can)

Salt and Pepper

1.  Cook your pasta, leaving it a weensy bit al dente and then drain it.  If you can't figure this step out, this recipe is not for you.
2.  Saute your onion in some olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan for about 6 minutes, until they begin to brown up a bit.
3.  Add the beans, tomatoes, chilis, and spices, and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring until well incorporated.
4.  Add the kale and cover.  After 4 minutes or so, remove the cover, stir to incorporate and recover.  Do this until the kale begins to wilt and lighten a bit in color, probably after 8 minutes or so.  Turn off the heat; you can stir in the pasta if you want to clear up some space on your counter.
5.  Preheat your oven to 350.
6.  In a medium to large sauce pot, melt your butter over medium heat.  When it starts to bubble, proceed to step seven.
7.  Whisk in the flour.  When the mixture begins to bubble, proceed to step eight.
8.  Warm 2 cups of your milk in the microwave, until it is warm but not hot to the touch.
9.  Begin to slowly whisk it into the sauce pan.
10.  When the milk is incorporated, lower the heat a bit and keep and eye on it.  You want it to start to simmer, but not turn into a full rolling boil that will make a mess of your stovetop!
11.  When the simmer is attained, lower the heat to maintain the temperature.
12.  Begin to whisk in the cheeses, one scoop or handful at a time.
13.  When the cheese is fully incorporated (and remember to save some for the top of the dish), add in the pumpkin one big dollop at a time, also whisking to fully incorporate before adding more.  Alternate with pours of the remaining cup of milk.
14.  Season to taste with pepper and salt if needed.
15.  Pour the sauce into the large frying pan and stir to coat the pasta and fixin's.
16.  Pour the mixture into a large Le Creuset sprayed with cooking spray or buttered.  Sprinkle with cheese and a few dashes of chili powder and cayenne.
17.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350, and then turn the oven up to a boil, baking for five more minutes or until the cheese on top gets really gooey and bubbly and maybe a bit brown.
18.  DEVOUR.  But let it cool a bit first.  The roof of your mouth will thank you.

If you close your eyes, this hot mess of Calabeza Queso Casserole
will look as good as it tastes...

Recipe 22: Chiles Rellenos Enchiladas

For the record, I make this recipe a lot, in a lot of different ways.  This is the first time, however, that I have actually made it to the point where I have taken a picture.  It is also, frankly, the laziest I've been about it, as half of the ingredients are like...from a can.  Usually, I just use fresh ingredients on hand for the stuffing; this is also the first time I've used rice.  And I cheated, and used Goya Spanish rice instead of making and seasoning my own.  Whatevs!  The good news is this recipe is easily adaptable.  Use different ingredients for the filling, seasonally.  Use more cheese.  Don't use rice.  Use grits.  Use meat.  Use different beans.  Use seasonal veggies.  Use, frankly, whatever you want.  These are basically Mexican stuffed peppers.  Stuff at will, kids.   I think the secret is in keeping the lid on for most of the baking - it allows for a steaming effect to soften the peppers.  As is, this recipe is pretty easy.  What takes the longest will be your prep time.  Otherwise, it's pretty easy!

Chiles Rellenos Enchiladas

Serves 4

This is an unattractive, bad quality photo of a half eaten batch of delicious
Chiles Rellenos Enchiladas. 

Ingredients

1 box Goya Spanish rice

1 tsp/tbsp butter (depending on what you like)

1 medium/large onion, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1 medium/large carrot, chopped

1 can drained, rinsed black beans

1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 cups kale, torn into small pieces

1 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped

4 very large poblano peppers, cut down the side and deseeded (or something else - I have no idea what kind I used - they were red/yellow and shaped like poblanos.  Maybe banana?  Maybe something else?  This is the trouble with farmshares. If you identify them, let me know.)

1 can enchilada sauce (red or green - or mole sauce, or get crazy and use salsa)

Cheese, to taste (I use cheddar or cotija)

Directions:

1.  Prepare your box of rice as instructed on the package.
2.  Preheat oven to 400.  
3.  In a large sauce pan over medium, saute the onions and garlic for approximately five minutes
4.  Add beans and carrot.
5.  Add tomatoes and kale, stir, and cover.   Saute for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until the kale has softened and the ingredients are incorporated.
6.  Add 1/3 of the rice to the skillet.  Stir to incorporate.
7.  Add cheese to the mixture if you'd like to.
8.  Stuff your peppers.  You should have a good deal of the vegetable mixture left over.
9.  Lightly spray your Le Creuset with cooking oil to prevent sticking, then pour in your remaining rice.  Cover this with the vegetable mixture, and place your stuffed peppers on top.  Cover the mixture with enchilada sauce.
10.  Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.
11.  Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes (total cook time 45 minutes).  If you want to add more cheese, do so now so it melts and begins to bubble.
12.  Let the pot cool five minutes, and enjoy with avocado, or a cold beer.  Or a glass of red wine.  Just enjoy.