A New Recipe and Our Recipe for Chili Rellenos Making Two Meals in One Night

 Hello, I wanted to share one of our favorite family recipes that we make that is super easy and everyone likes it....which is always a bonus when you have many to feed and its a vegetarian meal...go for those meatless Mondays .......whenever. We grew a lot of poblanos for the last several years and what we didn't give sell or give away we froze for meals all winter. Using our homemade pasta  sauce and mozzarella cheese fresh grated. I never buy already grated cheese, we always grate it ourselves. It saves money that way, it melts better, taste much better and does not have the "anticaking device" which can be cornstarch. Always read your labels. Sometimes the product labels which actually change on you from one purchase to another. I always recheck the label to make sure they haven't changed anything. We cook here at our house basically three meals a day or have leftovers nothing is ever wasted and if it was something we couldn't use our chickens or compost pile take care of the rest.

You will first cut the poblanos stem off and remove the seeds, the seeds aren't too hot but if you are sensitive you may want to wear food safe gloves. I don't but I have working hands and I can feel a slight tingle of heat later in the night but nothing serious....like a jalapeno. Then you will blanche the poblanos in hot water they usually take about 5 minutes but that can vary. The poblanos will turn a color. They will still have a crunch to them but soft to eat easily. You will save the poblano water that you blanched in for your soup broth. Save one or two poblanos to put into the soup chopped up. 

I stuff the poblanos with cheese and sprinkle some on top then pour the homemade pasta sauce on the cheese and peppers and then bake for approximately 30 minutes to melt cheese and warm the sauce. The sauce will usually bubble around the sides. I bake at 400 degrees F but 

375 degrees F is fine too. 

So you can see the cheese sprinkled on top.

It us very yummy and very easy to make.

Below picture is for the soup recipe  

Once you have your blanched water from the poblanos dump in the pasta sauce, the cactus , black eyed peas, 1/4 jar of the pickled jalapenos I didn't use the juice. I also put in a jar of our black beans that we pressured canned. You can use dry beans but first soak them. This recipe was a spur of the moment creation and I used  what was on hand. When you live where we do I just don't run to the store to get what you need I use what I have and make it work. Oh that brings back memories when all the kids all still lived at home and we would go to the store we would leave Walmart or wherever we went with like three shopping carts full in a train fashion leaving the store and let me tell you it was like no one ever seen this many kids and that many grocery leave the store. My daughter Alexis the oldest daughter we still chuckle over it. Anyone who lives quite remotely understands completely. Now add a jar of your canned tomatoes or store bought ones. 

 Meanwhile I baked two tilapia fish in the over at 400 degrees F sprinkled with fresh garlic and butter. I covered the fish and baked until flaky keep and eye on it, as it cooks fast and is very tender.

In a pot I cooked shrimp that I peeled and then placed in the soup. The shrimp once it boils its done, I then sprinkle with a Cajun spice ( of your choice) or Old Bay Seasoning. Whichever you prefer. We like heat here.  

Here you can see the shrimp and tomatoes and the cactus. Bruce liked it so much he wanted me to make a blog post on it. So the Poblanos or chili rellenos without the frying, is dinner one and the soup becomes the next nights dinner. I will bake a cornbread with soup and everyone will love that. The boys all love cornbread. 

You could add sautéed celery and onions and green peppers to this also. Which I didn't have any celery on hand last night. Also you add more beans, and or pasta noodles, rice, barley, quinoa....its endless. I have never been one to make too much with seafood other than as itself...like a fish, crab etc. I just want my seafood as seafood kinda gal....but I think this has changed my mind. Now I am thinking of lots of seafood recipes. When I was growing up we ate a lot of seafood and one of the dishes was crab spaghetti and I was never so crazy about it but I did eat it. Now I kinda think I am changed and would like to make that recipe for my family.  

 Despite the chili cool weather we are still having (although one day was 73 degrees) I painted some of the bags on the porch getting ready for the shows. But I have still been doing the nature walks. It is just so renewing and mind clearing.

                                                                I see some interesting trees

I love seeing the moss or lichens 

This was looking through a tree that is falling down. 

Alexis sent me this pic from the Florida trip of Bruce holding Ledger and I just love how Ledggie is saying hey grandma aren't you supposed to be holding me? LOL! 

Keeping it simple and real.....in 2018

Live simple be simple.

Remember to "pause"

STAY ACTIVE  

Just a reminder........

We will have our FIRST CRAFT SHOW at

Grassfield Band Parents Spring Craft Show February 24, 2018 Grassfield High School - Chesapeake, VA 23323   from 9-4pm  This is a new one on the list this year....I am excited as we have done shows in January before, but this helps to get you back into the swing of the things. So mark your calendars. I will share others as I know of them. They will be at most of the regular places we already attend, as I have heard from some of the organizers. Those are further in the year. I will continue to keep you posted.

Dawn Gallop

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