TASTE
Spice up leftover turkey for chiles rellenos casserole
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Every Thanksgiving, I scramble for new ideas for the leftover turkey. This year, I was inspired by a recent trip to Santa Fe, N.M. This town has many great restaurants serving Southwestern cuisine. One of the dishes that I enjoyed was chiles rellenos. Traditionally, chile peppers are stuffed with cheese, dipped in a batter and deep-fried. I've created a lower-fat version — the chiles are sliced and topped with reduced-fat cheese and a spiced turkey mixture, encased in a custard and baked as a casserole.
Although they are called peppers, chiles (aka chillies, chilies) are not members of the same family as black pepper. They belong to the genus Capsicum, for the Greek word meaning "to bite." The bite or burn you get from some chiles is caused by the alkaloid capsaicin. Even when dried, cooked or frozen, the heat level remains stable. However, not all members of this species are hot and spicy; some are sweet and mild. Peppers grown in New Mexico are rated mild to moderate in heat.
Chiles are known to have been cultivated in Central Mexico as long ago as 7000 BC. In 1493, Christopher Columbus, while searching for the countries that grow black pepper and other spices, found other peppers used by the Native Americans. He called them pimientos (Spanish for peppers). The popularity of chiles has been spreading ever since.
TURKEY CHILES RELLENOS CASSEROLE
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a nonstick skillet with olive-oil spray and saute the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, turkey and refried beans. Stir until well combined, and remove from heat.
Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive-oil cooking spray and place half of the green chiles on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 cup grated cheese. Gently spoon the turkey mixture onto the cheese, and spread evenly.
Place the other half of the green chilies over the turkey mixture, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. In small bowl combine flour and salt and gradually whisk in milk, hot sauce, eggs and egg whites. Stir with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour this mixture over the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool casserole briefly before serving. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro, sliced black olives and/or sliced cherry tomatoes. Serve with hot sauce or salsa if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
* I found low-fat Mexican cheese at Safeway; you can substitute any reduced-fat cheese.
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write: Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine"(Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
Reach Carol Devenot at taste@honoluluadvertiser.com.
