Whhheee!!! It is Kulinarya's Birthday today!!!! One glorious year behind us and looking forward to many more. This year has been a fantastic journey for me in meeting new bloggers, making friends and in learning a whole lot about Filipino culture and cuisine during these months.
To celebrate the occasion and in season with the upcoming Holidays, Annie and Dahlia chose the theme of this month as Rellenos! Being in the US, one has definitely heard of Rellenos, especially Chiles Rellenos, a popular Mexican dish.
When I read the theme, I was surprised and then realised.. Of course! They were both colonised by the Spanish. But, interestingly, aside from this dish, I have not heard of any other common name dish between the two cultures. If you do know, I would be happy to learn!
The difference between the Mexican Relleno and the Filipino one is that the former is typically mild chillies, like poblano, stuffed with cheese or pork, dredged in batter and fried. The Filipino versions are typically stuffed and roasted de-boned meat like chicken, fish, crab, squid etc. with a heavy lenience to seafood. The stuffing includes ground meat, whole boiled eggs and/or diced vegetables.
For my version, I decided to somewhat borrow the Mexican interpretation and merge the Filipino concept of it. I stuffed Cubenelle peppers with a mixture of ground lamb, fresh apples, tomato chutney and capers and roasted them en papillote. Served over a Challah french toast with a Red Wine Mushroom Ragout, it made a wonderful meal!
I would also like to call out my sincere thanks to so many of you for your kind words, support and encouragement through my Project Food Blog endeavor. Alas, the journey has come to an end for me but it is one I will cherish. It was a great learning experience and many times pushed me beyond my comfort zone; some unfortunately not as successful as others. Nevertheless, I look back and smile! :)
Chiles Rellenos
2 cubenelle peppers
1/4 lb ground lamb
1 small apple, cored and diced into 1/3 inch cubes
2 T tomato chutney
1 tsp capers, drained
1/2 medium red onion, diced fine
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp harissa
salt, pepper, oil as needed
In a little oil, brown the meat. As the oil releases, add the onions, garlic, cumin, harissa, salt and pepper and saute until the meat is cooked. Set aside to cool a bit. Add the apples, chutney and capers and set aside while you prep the peppers.
For the peppers, make a long slit lengthwise and scoop out the cartilage and seeds from inside. Stuff with the meat mixture, wrap with parchment paper and bake at 375 F for 25 minutes until the peppers are tender. The en papillote preparation will ensure that the peppers cook in the juices of the filling, adding extra flavor to it. Unwrap and serve immediately.
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Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.Each month we will showcase a new dish. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.
If you’re interested in joining the Kulinarya Cooking Club, please leave a comment in this post. Also, check out the KCC Facebook page for news, updates and to browse through what everyone in the club created this month.