Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients

• Canola oil spray

• 4 poblano or Anaheim peppers (about 2 ounces each)

• 2 ounces shredded low-fat queso asadero or Monterey Jack cheese

• 2 ounces low-fat requesón or ricotta cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• Whites of 3 large eggs

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Serves:

4 people; 1 stuffed pepper per serving

Dietary Exchanges:

1 1/2 starch, 1 lean meat

Nutrition Analysis (per serving)
• 174 Calories
• 4.0 g Total Fat
• 2.5 g Saturated Fat
• 0.0 g Trans Fat
• 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat
• 1.0 g Monounsaturated Fat
• 13 mg Cholesterol
• 140 mg Sodium
• 24 g Carbohydrates
• 2 g Fiber
• 2 g Sugar
• 11 g Protein

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Lightly spray the broiler pan with canola oil spray.

 

With a thin, sharp knife, make a small slit near the stem of each pepper.

 

Broil the peppers 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the skins are blackened. (Be careful not to overcook.)

 

Place the peppers in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and let stand for at least 15 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

 

Remove the charred skins from the peppers. Cut off the stems and remove the ribs and seeds. Rinse the peppers in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

 

In a small bowl, stir together the cheeses, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared peppers.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with canola oil spray.

 

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

 

Put the flour and cornmeal on separate plates. 

 

Set the flour, egg whites, and cornmeal in a row, assembly-line fashion.

 

Carefully roll a filled pepper in the flour to lightly coat. Coat the pepper with egg white. Roll the pepper in the cornmeal to coat and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining peppers.

 

Lightly spray the peppers with canola oil spray.

 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately.