Roasted Chiles Rellenos with Black Beans

December weekends for me, are anything but quiet or calm.  Grocery shop, bake, decorate, clean the kitchen, repeat.   Throw in a little online shopping and wrapping and you know exactly how I've been spending my days this month.  Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining, a hectic schedule = lots of catering orders, just giving you a life update. 

The downside of my full calendar is very little "down" time for extra things like taking a shower and brushing my teeth. (Totally kidding - I'm a total fanatic about oral hygiene.🦷)  😁🤣I've figured out that scheduling a December night out - well in advance - is the best way for me to take a break during this busy season. 

A couple of months about - I bought tickets to visit the Atlanta Zoo to see the Chinese Lantern festival and last night was the night.  It was a balmy, humid 60 degrees but we still carried cups of hot chocolate as we strolled through the zoo lights in our festive t-shirts.  

If you live in Atlanta - I highly recommend Illuminights at the Zoo.  It's amazing.

​When I have lots of catering orders, dinner prep gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.  I try and make extra meals on days when I don't have a full day of baking but those days are far and few between lately.  My family's starting to get suspicious of my plan serve the 12 soups of Christmas.  🤣​

​Hello, Roasted Chili Rellenos with Black Beans.  This meal is heathy, I can prepare it in advance and quickly and most importantly - it's super flavorful and delicious.  

Roasted Chiles Rellenos with Black Beans
4–6 extra-large poblano peppers, leave whole with stems on
6 ripe, medium Roma tomatoes, cut in half
5 garlic cloves
1 large onion, sliced into ½ inch slices
2 small jalapeños, cut in half
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Filling
14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces grated jack cheese or Mexican queso fresco
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
¼ cup fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
1/4–1/2 cup chicken broth

Arrange tomatoes, garlic, onions, jalapenos and poblanos on a sheet pan. 

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Roast 30 minutes at 450.   Cool.

Combine beans, cheese, cumin, chili powder and season with salt. 

Chop and add 1/3 of the roasted onions.

Place remaining onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, salt, tomato paste, cilantro, broth and pan juices in food processor.  Blend until smooth.  

Cut a slit in poblanos from stem to pointy end.  Remove seeds and rinse under cold water. 

Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.  Place pepper on top, slit side up.  

Spoon black bean filling into each pepper.

Spoon the rest of the sauce over the filled peppers. 

Sprinkle with more cheese. 

 Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes at 425.  Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. 

I was a little hesitant about how these stuffed chilies would be received by my family members who are ultra-sensitive to spicy food.  Surprisingly - they love it.  I toned down the jalapeños to make it a little more mild and they gobbled it up.  

Ciao!

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