Featured Recipes

Chile Rellenos

Several years ago John and I had dinner at a restaurant called Los Adobes in Todos Santos, Mexico.  Meals are served in a beautiful garden setting with meandering walkways lined with cactus plants. They specialize in using poblano chilies and although most of their dishes contain meat, seafood or cheese, their vegetarian Chile Relleno was stuffed with mashed potatoes and covered with a bean sauce.  I had an interesting conversation with the chef in my limited Spanish.  This is my version of the recipe. This takes a bit of effort to put together, but the results are worth it.  If you have some leftover mashed potatoes, it will save you some time. 

Preparation Time:  1 hour
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  2-4

4 large poblano chili peppers
2 cups garlic mashed potatoes (recipe below)
1 ½ cups fat-free refried pinto beans
½ cup tofu sour cream (recipe below)
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Preheat broiler.  Lay chilies in a single layer on a dry baking sheet.  Broil about 4 inches from broiler until chilies are blistering and charred on all sides, turning frequently.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Put chilies in a large metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.  Remove skins with your hands, rubbing with a paper towel, if necessary.  Set aside on paper towels to dry.

Place the beans, tofu sour cream, water and chipotle powder in a small saucepan and heat gently until warmed, stirring frequently.  Do not boil.  Place about 1 cup of this mixture in the bottom of a medium baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut a slit down the side of each poblano and carefully remove the seeds.  You may leave the stem on for presentation, if desired, otherwise remove it along with the seeds.

Stuff the poblanos with about ½ cup of mashed potatoes each.  Close the poblanos and place in the baking dish.  Drizzle with about 1 more cup of the sauce.  Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake about 10 more minutes.  Serve with the remaining bean sauce and Mango salsa to spoon over the top, if desired.

Hints:  Depending on what else you are serving for dinner, each person may eat either 1 or 2 of these stuffed peppers, hence the 2-4 serving suggestion.  Use 1 can of fat-free refried pinto beans if you do not have leftover smashed beans in your refrigerator.  Fat-free black refried beans can be used instead of the pintos with delicious results. Prepared Mango salsa is available in some markets and will cut down on the preparation time. Purchased fresh tomato salsa may be used instead of the Mango salsa, if desired.  Poblano chili peppers are dark green, rich flavored mild peppers.  They are usually about 2 ½ to 3 inches wide and 4 to 5 inches long, tapering from top to bottom in a triangle.  Poblanos may also be charred over a gas or electric burner until the skins are well blistered (use tongs for this). This will take a bit longer because they have to be done individually.  The peppers can be placed in a brown paper bag to cool, instead of in a bowl, if desired.  Cooling the peppers in a covered bowl or bag helps to loosen the skin, making them easier to peel. 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  makes 2 cups

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup unsweetened soy milk
Several twists freshly ground white pepper
Dash sea salt

Peel potatoes and chop into chunks.  Place in a stainless pan with water to cover.  Add 2 whole cloves of peeled garlic.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Drain.  Mash in pan using electric beaters or use a hand masher, adding the remaining ingredients as necessary to get a smooth consistency and delicious flavor. 

Tofu Sour Cream

Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Chilling Time:  2 hours
Servings:  Makes 1 ½ cups

1  12.3 ounce package soft silken tofu
2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 ½ teaspoons sugar
dash salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. 

Mango Salsa

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  makes 2 cups

2 cups peeled, chopped, ripe mango
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon warm water
several twists freshly ground black pepper
dash salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving. 

Ola’s Chile Rellenos
By Ola Ellman

Ola and I were talking about potato-filled Chile Rellenos during the last McDougall Advanced Study Weekend and she told me about her recipe for easy and healthy Chile Rellenos.  I made these last week when I was perfecting the Chile Relleno recipe above and served them side by side.  They are delicious, with a completely different taste because of the squash and sauce choice.  Again, they are a bit labor intensive, but worth the trouble if you have the time.  Use leftover mashed potatoes, if possible, to save time.

Preparation Time:  1 hour
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  2-4

4 large poblano chili peppers
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup roasted, mashed butternut squash (see hints below)
1 ½ cups Mexican green sauce (see hints below)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped onion

Char and skin the poblano chilies.  Preheat broiler.  Lay chilies in a single layer on a dry baking sheet.  Broil about 4 inches from broiler until chilies are blistering and charred on all sides, turning frequently.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Put chilies in a large metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.  Remove skins with your hands, rubbing with a paper towel, if necessary.  Set aside on paper towels to dry.  Or use method below in hints.

Combine the mashed potatoes with the mashed squash.  Stir in the cumin.

Pour about ¾ cup of the green sauce in the bottom of a medium baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut a slit down the side of each poblano and carefully remove the seeds.  You may leave the stem on for presentation, if desired, otherwise remove it along with the seeds.

Stuff the poblanos with about ½ cup of mashed potatoes and squash mixture in each. Sprinkle with some of the chopped onion in each chili.  Close the poblanos and place in the baking dish.  Drizzle with about ¾ cup more of the sauce.  Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake about 10 more minutes.

Hints:  Poblanos may also be charred over a gas or electric burner until the skins are well blistered (use tongs for this). This will take a bit longer because they have to be done individually.  The peppers can be placed in a brown paper bag to cool, instead of in a bowl, if desired.  Cooling the peppers in a covered bowl or bag helps to loosen the skin, making them easier to peel.  To roast a butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, place cut side down on a baking dish and roast at 400 degrees until done, about 45 minutes.  Puncture with a fork to check tenderness. The skin should be browned and flesh tender.  Cool and scoop out flesh.  Mash with fork.  Save 1 cup of the mashed squash for use in this recipe.  Reserve remaining squash for another use, or freeze and use much later.  Look for a fat-free Mexican green sauce in the Ethnic section of your supermarket.  I used a jarred green tomatillo salsa that was very flavorful, but not too spicy.

Quinoa Corn Bread
By Cathy Fisher

Cathy works with the McDougall’s and oversees the website’s audio McDougallCasts.  She also greets and registers attendees of the Weekend Expos and 10-Day Programs.  She developed this recipe as an alternative to corn bread recipes that use oil and eggs. She used the banana instead of the oil, which provides a nice moist texture. The quinoa also provides moisture (quinoa can be found in the bulk food section of health food stores, like Whole Foods). You can also omit the maple syrup if you’re trying to avoid sugar; the corn kernels provide some sweetness on their own (canned corn can be used in a pinch, but it’s not as good as fresh). You can use either yellow or blue cornmeal (but blue turns your cornbread into a conversation piece, so be ready).

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: makes one 8x8 pan

1 cup water
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh corn kernels cut from 1 ear (about 1/2 cup)
½ of a ripe banana
¾ cup soy milk
¼ cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
Egg Replacer for 2 eggs (3 teaspoons Egg Replacer and 4 tablespoons warm water whisked together till frothy)

Start by cooking the quinoa: boil 1 cup water, then add in the dry quinoa, reduce to a simmer, and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is gone and the quinoa is puffed up. Set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, followed by the corn kernels. Separately, mash the banana well, then add in the soy milk, maple syrup (or agave), and Egg Replacer mixture. Next, combine wet and dry ingredients. Last, fold in the cooked quinoa. The mixture will be somewhat thick. Spread into a prepared 8x8-inch square pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Hints:  Egg Replacer is made by EnerG Foods and can be found in most natural food stores.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
By Joyce Everett, chef at Flamingo Resort Hotel

Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Chilling Time:  1 hour
Servings:  makes 2 ½ cups

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cold water
½ cup Agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Combine all ingredients in a blender jar and process until well blended.

Chill before serving.

Chilean Porotos Granados

When John and I traveled in Chile several years ago, we had a difficult time finding good low-fat plant food dishes in many of the areas that we visited.  There was one exception, a delicious bean and squash stew that we ate on several occasions. 

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  8

4 cups water
3 cups peeled and chunked butternut squash
4 cups fresh corn kernels (6 ears corn)
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2  15 ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tomato, chopped
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Hot pepper sauce to taste
Several twists of freshly ground pepper
Dash sea salt

Place the water in a large pot with the squash and corn kernels.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the onion, bell peppers, jalapenos and garlic in a sauté pan with the broth.  Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables soften and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add the paprika, cumin and oregano, continue to cook and stir for about one minute.  Set aside.

Place 1 cup of the beans in a blender jar.  Add ¼ cup of the basil and 3 cups of the squash-corn mixture and blend until fairly smooth.  Return to pot and add the remaining beans.  Scrape the vegetable mixture into the pot along with any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomato, red pepper flakes and the remaining basil.  Heat through.  Taste and add hot pepper sauce, several twists of freshly ground pepper and a dash of sea salt, if desired.

Hints:  In Chile this stew is traditionally made with cranberry beans.  I used canned pinto beans to save some time.  If you can find fresh cranberry beans at your local farmer’s market, buy them and cook until tender, then use in this recipe.  You will need about 3 cups of cooked beans.

Barbecue Portobello Sandwiches

These sandwiches remind some people of pulled pork, but since I have never eaten a pulled pork sandwich you couldn’t prove it by me.  They are still great though, no matter what you call them.  We like these topped with a variety of garnishes.  If I have some coleslaw in the refrigerator, we’ll use that, plus some tomatoes, sliced onions and lettuce.  (Shredded cabbage tossed with rice vinegar and lime juice makes a delicious stand in for coleslaw.)  Or try them topped with sauerkraut and mustard. 

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  6

1 cup fat-free barbecue sauce
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 large Portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed and chopped
6 whole wheat buns

Place the barbecue sauce in a bowl.  Add the minced chipotle and mix well.  Set aside.

Place the onions and mushrooms in a large non-stick sauté pan,   Cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly with a spatula to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan.  The onions and mushrooms will take on a golden brown color.  Pour the barbecue sauce over the onions and mushrooms and mix well.  Reduce heat to low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.  Split the buns and warm them, ladle the barbecue mixture over the buns.  Top with your choice of garnishes.   Serve open-face or close up the buns and eat the sandwiches with your hands.

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