Potato, Corn & Cheese Chile Rellenos

Early fall is the peak season for fresh chiles and our farmer's market has been overflowing with hard-to-find varieties like hatch, yellow wax, and red jalapenos. There's a stall at the market that's only open for a month during this time and sells roasted chiles that they char to-order in their huge outdoor grill. I picked up a bag of roasted poblanos and decided to create a riff on chile rellenos with this easy baked version (traditional recipes are deep-fried). These are stuffed with fresh sweet corn, Yukon Gold potatoes, and (of course) lots of cheese to create a wonderfully gooey filling. Can't find roasted chiles near you? No problem, I've provided easy instructions on how to do it at home.


Potato, Corn & Cheese Chile Rellenos:

• Place 1/2 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and boil over high heat for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.*
• Drain potatoes, let cool, and dice into small cubes. Mix the potatoes with the kernels from 2 ears of corn and season with salt and pepper.**
• Meanwhile, place 5-6 poblano peppers on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 10-15 minutes, turing once, until skins are completely black and charred.
• Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes so that they steam and cool.
• Use your fingers to carefully rub off the charred skins, then cut a small slit down the front of the pepper and carefully pull out the seeds, keeping the stem intact.***
• Stuff the peppers with some of the potato and corn mixture, then stuff in 6 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided.
• Try to close the peppers up as much as possible and place on a lined baking sheet.
• Bake peppers in a 350F oven for 15 minutes, then broil on high for another 3-4 minutes, until cheese is bubbling.
• Sprinkle with minced cilantro and serve.

Serves two-three

*Or skip this step and use leftover roasted or boiled potatoes. Potatoes are tender when a fork can easily be inserted.

**Whole mixture can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge.

***I find it easiest to do this by running the peppers under gently streaming cold water.

Smothered Chicken

It’s hard to believe that it’s already October, and while I’m not a huge fan of weather below 70 degrees, the record heat we continue to have in L.A. just feels out of sync with the rest of the world. This recipe was my first attempt at making a fall-time dish in a while (which I cooked in shorts and a tank top with all the windows and doors open) and even though it didn't mesh that well with the temperature outside, it's still the type of food I like to enjoy this time of year. The chicken gets seasoned with a simple spice rub and then quickly braised in vegetable medley until tender and succulent. It’s an easy, one-pot meal that will keep you warm and make your whole house smell good, and leftovers are great re-heated the next day.

Smothered Chicken:

• Combine 2 tbsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper in a small bowl.
• Season 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and then sprinkle with the spice mixture.*
• Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven over high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil.
• Add in the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until brown and crisp. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side.**
• Remove the chicken and set aside, then add in 2 thinly sliced onions, 1 thinly sliced green bell pepper, and 3 stalks of thinly sliced celery. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lower the heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are soft and starting to brown.
• Stir in 2 heaping tbsp. flour and cook for another minute or two, then add in 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add the chicken back to the pot, skin-side up, and pour in 2-3 c. water and 1 bunch minced scallions.***
• Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover the pot.
• Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through, then remove the chicken and set aside.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, add in several dashes of hot sauce, and let sauce reduce for another 5-10 minutes.
• Spoon sauce over the chicken, garnish with a few more minced scallions, and serve.

Serves four-six

*You may not need all  the spice mixture on the chicken. If you have leftovers, add it in with the vegetables.

**You do not need to cook the chicken all the way through - just brown them. If your pot is small, you may need to do this is batches.

***You want to cover the chicken most of the way but still have the crispy skin peek out the top.

Pistachio-Crusted Scallops

Sweet scallops with a crunchy, nutty crust

I do the majority of the cooking in our house, with my fiance generally on grill or dish duty, but this weekend he requested to switch places. Scallops are one of my signature dishes, so he decided to put his own spin on it with this recipe from Bon Appetit. Large sea scallops get quickly seared until golden brown and then rolled in a mixture of mixed minced herbs and toasted pistachios. It was a great rendition of one of our favorite meals and it was such a joy to get to relax with a glass of wine while the meal was being prepared. Doing the dishes was a different story, though.


More Scallop Recipes:
- Scallops & Sauteed Sweet Corn
- Scallops with Fennel & Kumquat
- Seared Scallops & Baked Saffron Risotto


Herb & Pistachio Crusted Scallops:

• Heat 1 scant tbsp. butter in a small skillet, then add 2 tbsp. shelled pistachios and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden.
• Let nuts cool, then mince and combine in a bowl with 1 tbsp. minced chives and 1 tbsp. minced parsley. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tbsp. canola oil in a large, heavy skillet or cast iron pan until very hot.
• Add in 8 large scallops* and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden, then flip and caramelize on the other side.
• Remove from the pan and immediately roll each scallops in the nut-herb mixture.
• Divide onto plates and serve.

Serves two

*Remove the side muscle from the scallop before cooking.