We had some fun this weekend. It’s a great time when we can make a mess in the kitchen and experiment with new foods and cooking styles, and yeah, we made a mess.
The recipe we decided to try out came from raw foodie Penni Shelton, as shared on TheBlenderGirl.com. I’ve always loved a good chile relleno. Another great feature about Austin is that it’s easy to find organic, dairy free versions at several places in town. But this version takes it to another level, being loaded with very nutrient dense ingredients and forgoing the traditional high-temperature roasting.
We don’t have a dehydrator (yet…it’s on the vision board) so we just did a bit of low-temperature baking in the oven. It worked beautifully, and is even a more practical approach for most people. The mole sauce was a bit dull for us, so we changed a few things there, and we added a helping of Cashew Chipotle sauce, cause,
why not? Here’s the show, with our minor tweaks and additions.
For the Chili Rellenos:
2 Red bell peppers
1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds (soaked for 30 minutes)
1/2 Cup sunflower seeds (soaked for 30 minutes)
1 Carrot, finely diced
1/2 Jalapeno, seeded & minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fresh pepper
1 Tbs coconut aminos (nama shoyu or wheat-free tamari)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup water, for blending
Cut each pepper into four sections. Try to keep the stem on if possible, and remove the seeds and membranes.
Rub the peppers with a bit of olive oil and place in an Exaclibur dehydrator at 115 degrees F for 2 hours, or a pre-heated (to 200) and turned off oven to soften, if desired.
Drain the soaked pumpkin and sunflower seeds and add them along with the rest of the stuffing ingredients to a high speed blender.
Add additional water if necessary while processing, being careful not to allow the mixture to become too thin.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking if necessary.
Spoon the stuffing into the peppers. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula or the back of the spoon.
These can be served as is, or dehydrated for up to 8 hours at 115 degrees F.
Serve topped with Mole and/or Cashew Chipotle Sauce and Mango Salsa.
For the Mole Sauce:
1 Tbs + 2 tsp raw cacao powder
1 Tbs pumpkin seeds
1 Tbs flax seeds
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander
1 Red bell pepper
1 tsp chopped jalapeno, (or more if you like heat)
2 tsp raw honey
1 1/2 Tbs coconut aminos (nama shoyu, or wheat-free tamari)
1/8 tsp salt
Grind the pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and cumin seeds in a blender.
Add all other ingredients to the blender and process until smooth.
Pour or drizzle the Mole sauce over the Chili Rellenos.
For the Corn & Mango Chipotle Salsa:
1 Mango, diced
1 Ear of corn (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
1/2 Cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbs scallion, finely chopped
1 Lime, juiced
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
Generous pinch of sea salt
Cut the kernels off the corn, and combine with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir.
Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to marry.
