The NFC Championship was an ugly experience for us, and it became evident we needed to eat our feelings…

…after a four mile walk that also included a stop for beignets.

Our garden is rife with poblanos, and we live in the south, so let’s get to frying, y’all.

One of our 2019 resolutions is to focus on a more healthful lifestle. And that means everything from considering nutrition to more sleep, more activity, and more attention to how we treat our bodies on the whole. But it also means we want to be more conscientious without being pretentious jackasses – and to us, that in part means less meat and less food waste. It’s financially and environmentally sensible to do so, and with 3 kids who a) are stupendously expensive, and b) will someday inherit what’s left of this earth, this is A Thing in our household.

We’re not high on diets and trends, but we do believe in moderation and the occasional fried, cheesy carb of deliciousness. Here’s one such recipe, which we served with our homemade refried beans.

Chile Rellenos

(serves 2, and can easily be adapted for a crowd)

4 poblano chiles
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (or any mix of cheeses, from queso fresco to sharp cheddar)
2 oz shredded, cooked chicken
Toothpicks
1 egg
Splash of soda water
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
Oil for pan-frying
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped (we had leftover Creole and cherry tomatoes on hand, so we used up what we had)
1 cup water
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cube of chicken or vegetable bouillon
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp dried oregano

First of all, roast the chiles. Preheat your oven to 450, throw them on a baking sheet, and roast them until they’re starting to slightly char. Let them cool, and don’t worry about peeling them. Once they’re cool, slice a slit into each chile and remove the seeds, being careful to keep the pepper intact.

While they’re cooling, add the tomatoes, garlic, water, and bouillon to a small saucepan. Let simmer. In a separate small saucepan, make a roux from the oil and flour, adding oregano just before removing from heat. Stir the roux mixture into the tomato sauce – it’ll hiss! Simmer for 10-15 minutes and then blend to your desired consistency – and season to taste.

Heat oil in a skillet – just enough to pan fry each chile.

Carefully add cheese and chicken to each chili, pinning each shut with a toothpick. Whisk flour, soda water and egg together – the soda water will keep it crunchier. Dip each chile in the batter, rotating it carefully with tongs.

Add the chiles to the hot oil, and fry on all sides. Once cooked, let drain on a paper towel before removing the toothpicks. Serve covered in tomato sauce and possibly even any excess cheese (definitely any excess cheese), with refried beans and rice on the side.

This can be easily adapted for vegetarian or vegan considerations, given the amount of killer substitutions available at most grocery stores these days.