Chiles Rellenos on salsa, Arroz con Frijoles Negros, Jicama-Avocado salad and Arroz Con Leche!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there, enjoy this Sunday. Sit tight, relax and make others serve you for a change! You all deserve a Nobel Peace prize each for being very very patient and very very loving, even when kids throw their very very fickle mood swings in your face everyday and you still love them to death!!:D

Last weekend, we did lot of yard work, gardening and some veggie planting at almost 80F temp and survived somehow to blog today. Sneak a peek here to see what's up in my backyard! :)

Let me start with a yummy light dessert for all moms today and then a delicious vegetarian Mexican meal!

Arroz Con Leche, with Raspberries:
Arroz Con Leche (Rice with milk in Spanish) is nothing but Rice Pudding which is flavored with nutmeg and Cinnamon and mixed with Raspberries (my addition, frozen will do fine too). I have made it light for moms but traditionally made with heavy cream or whipped cream folded in and even with egg yolks, which gives it a nice creamy texture and taste. Did you know that Raspberries have the highest fiber content of any fruit?! You could add any fruit or chocolate sauce or garnish with sweetened coconut on top if you like.


A delicious low-fat Mexican dessert cinnamon-Nutmeg flavored Arroz Con Leche with Raspberries is my contribution to AFAM-Raspberries, hosted by Dee of "Ammalu's Kitchen" blog this month. Thanks Dee, great choice of fruit!!:)


You need: 1/2 cup quick cooking or medium grain rice, 1 cup water, 2 cups 2% milk or fat free Half and half, 3-4 tbsp white sugar or more to your taste, 1/2 tsp sweet Cinnamon powder, few grating of Nutmeg, 1 tsp Vanilla essence, 1/4 cup Chopped Raspberries, save a few for garnishing and curly Cinnamon sticks for garnish.
To make it:
1. Add rice, water in a glass bowl and microwave for 6 mins, uncovered or you can cook on stove top stirring all the time, which takes a long time.
2. Add all the milk and sugar, mix and MW again at 50% for another 6-8 mins or stir slowly on the stove top until rice is cooked soft and creamy with thickish sauce.
3. Take it out, mix well. Adjust the sugar and if it's too thick, you could thin it out with more milk, must heat again gently.
4. Add nutmeg, vanilla essence, Cinnamon pd, fold in. Let it cool covered in the fridge for an hour. 5. Add Raspberries pieces to rice and milk, mix in gently, chill again. Serve in a individual bowl, garnished with few Raspberries and Cinnamon sticks.

Now a yummy vegetarian Mexican meal:

Chiles Rellenos in salsa or spicy Tomato sauce, Arroz Con Frijoles Negro with Avocado-Jicama salad and serve this meal with Arroz Con Leche with Raspberries for dessert:
Chiles Rellenos means stuffed Pobalno chillies, could be stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and re-fried beans in salsa or any meat fillings as well. Arroz Con Frijoles Negro means rice with black beans in Spanish, a Mexican style dish which makes a great accompaniment with any side dish. All served with very Mexican salad which includes fresh sliced Jicama, Avocado, lemon juice on a bed of ice burg lettuce or thinly sliced fresh Cabbage as sometimes they do in Mexico! You also don't have to fry the Poblanos, can serve it stuffed and sauteed! But fried tastes better with gooey cheese inside!:)



A Mexican platter of Chiles Rellenos in salsa, Arroz Con Frijoles Negro with a Avocado and Jicama salad on the side is my offer to "A.W.E.D.-Mexico" event which is launched by DK of "Culinary Bazaar" blog. Thanks for hosting DK, enjoy!:)



Step by step photos, click on it to enlarge:
You need: 4 large Poblano chillies, 4 pieces of 3-4" long rectangle 1" thick Monterey Jack cheese sticks, about 1/4 cup of Re-fried beans to stuff, 1 tbsp of Queso Fresco or Mexican fresh cheese to garnish.
For coating batter: Traditionally, they use beaten egg white to coat but since this is a vegetarian meal, I used 1/2 cup Plain flour, salt, pinch of baking powder with enough water to make thick batter, somewhat like this snack.
Salsa or sauce: Store bought Salsa or home made as the recipe given below.

To make these: 1. Bake or grill Poblanos in the oven with 400F for 20 mins or so until you see the skin starts to get reddish. Take them out on a plate, cover with a bowl to make it sweat for a minute or two.
2. Peel the skin gently, slit one side to make a pocket with a knife or scissors. With a spoon, take out the seeds and the veins without tearing the chillies.Wash gently under the water in the sink, pat them dry.
3. Using a spoon, spread the re-fried beans inside the Poblano, place a cheese stick on top, place some more beans paste, cover it gently and seal it with a toothpick.Repeat with others, chill in the fridge for 1/2 hour to firm the beans paste.
Make sauce: Use fresh Salsa, heat it for 1 minute or blend fresh 3 Tomatoes, 1/2 onion, few cilantro sprigs, salt, 1 garlic, 1/2 tsp Cumin pd. Put it in a bowl, heat in the microwave until you get a sauce.
Coating to fry: Mix flour, salt,enough water and baking pd to make a thick mixture and let it rest for 5 minutes.
To fry: Heat oil to 375F. Dip stuffed Poblanos in batter, fry until crisp, drain on paper towel. When cool, remove the toothpicks.
To serve; place few spoonfuls of salsa or sauce on the plate, put one Chile Relleno on it, sprinkle some Queso Fresco. Serve with Mexican black beans rice and salad on the side.

Mexican rice with Black beans: (my easy way)

1. Cook 1 cup rice and pinch of salt in the microwave as usual until cooked soft and cool. Fluff to make the grains loose and separate.
2. Heat a pan with 1/2 tbsp butter, add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup red bell pepper or green bell pepper, 1 Tomato, 1-2 garlic chopped, pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp dry Oregano, add drained and washed canned Black beans (one can) to the pan and mix well.
4. Add all the rice, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, bit more salt and mix everything well, it will take a darker color because of the black beans. That's it!:)

For salad:
In Mexico, they sometimes use very thinly shredded cabbage instead of Iceberg lettuce. I had lettuce at hand, so I used that. Add thinly sliced fresh Jicama, 1 Avocado pulp, coarsely chopped, 1/2 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Mix and chill until serving time.
Variations to to serve Poblanos: After you make the sauce in the pan, fried Poblanos are added and simmered in the sauce before serving. I just kept them separate to retain the crunch rather soggy Chiles Rellenos. Your choice!


One more look:

Enjoy and check out another Mexican platter I made last year!! :)

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Book: I am still reading the book "Daughters of Kerala", which you can see on the sidebar right now. I will review this beautiful book next week.
Movie? Saw none this week but eagerly waiting for new Indiana Jones movie release and looking forward to this weekend too!! YAY!

I tried these dishes last week, thanks for posting all these yummies girls. Haunting your blogs continues!! :D

Arachuvitta Katrikai kuzhambu from Nirmala's blog.
Aloo(Baingan)Kurma from Anjali's blog.
Paneer Parathas from Dhivya Vikram's blog.
Toaster Tandoori Roti from Hetal & Anuja's blog.
Vatana Bateta Tameta nu Shaak from Richa's blog.
Red chilly chutney from Sumitha's blog.
Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta from Deeba's blog.
Rava Idli from Latha and Lakshmi's blog.
Radish Kootu from tbc's blog.
Moong dal with cucumber from Pravs's blog.
Gowdru Pulao from Namratha's blog.
Tomato-Carrot Dosa from Laavanya's blog.
Aloo-white peas bhaji for Pooris from Padmaja's blog.
Kerala Potato stew/Eshtu from shn's blog.
Kerikku dosa/Coconut Aapam from Bharathy's blog.
Chole-Bhatura from Pooja's blog.

A word about shn's Potato Eshtu: I was reheating the Eshtu for dinner y'day. My son came home from school, took a deep breath and says "something smells so GOOD! Mother, what culinary delight are you bestowing upon us today?" ;D
(Btw, the word "mother" comes out of his mouth only when I make butter chicken and Tikka masala, not for anything vegetarian until now! Hahaha! They ate this stew with toast. Thanks shn!)

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Lastly, I received few lovely surprises one Sunday morning two week's ago, a YUMMY BLOG AWARD (award pic attached in my side bar) from my blog buddies Dee, Dhivya Vikram and Meera. Thank you both so very much dear Dee, DV and Meera, very cute award for my blog which I proudly accept, appreciate and display!
I also thank Latha N of "The YUM blog" for giving me the "Forever Friends" globe. I am your friend forever Latha, thank you sweetie, hugs to you! Blog more please, twice a week sounds great too! :)

"The YUM blog" award has been crated by Roopa of "My Kitchen treats":
"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos", I thank you as well Roopa! :)
As per the rules, I have to "list four of my favorite desserts that I have prepared or eaten and pass the award to four of my fellow bloggers".
Here are four of my most favorite desserts I have blogged so far......
1. Mango Cobbler,
2. Ricotta Cheese Rasmalai,
3. Texas Sheet Cake,
4. Strawberry yogurt Pie, also called "Mustikkaiiras" in Finland.

I am forwarding this award to four more yummy blogs. If you have received it already, enjoy it again! :) I hope you follow the same award rules as listed at Roopa's blog ie to display the award, list 4 of your favorite desserts and forward the award to 4 more yummy deserving blogs! It's very hard to choose among hundreds of yummy blogs but here are 4 of them.
Yummy blogs:
Maheswari's "Beyond the usual",
Lakshmi G 's "Taste of Mysore",
Ramya 's "Mane Adige",
Pooja 's "My creative ideas".
Enjoy and I will see you all again next week!:))