GET THE RECIPE!
1 tbsp Avocado oil ½ Onion, minced (1 cup) 3 cloves Garlic, minced 2 ½ tbsp. Raisins ¾ cup Diced ripe plantain ¼ cup Bosc pear, diced ¼ cup Honeycrisp apple, diced ¼ cup Pinenuts ¼ cup Slivered almonds 8 Manzanilla olives, quartered 1 tbsp. Chopped capers ⅛ tsp. Clove, ground ¼ tsp. Cinnamon, ground ⅛ tsp. Ground black pepper ⅛ tsp thyme, dried ⅛ tsp oregano, dried
1 ½ cups lentils dry ½ Onion, large 2 Garlic cloves, peeled, smashed 2 Large tomatoes, (see note) 6 Poblano peppers,
1 ½ cup Walnuts 1 ½ cup Almond milk, unsweetened 1 ½ cup Baguette or bolillo 1 ½ tsp. Sugar 1 ½ tsp. sweet Sherry wine Salt to taste
1 Pomegranate ¼ cup Chopped parsley
STEP 1
Fill a med pot with water and add lentils, ½ of an onion, and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender. While the lentils are cooking, place the two tomatoes and the poblano peppers on a sheet tray. Turn your oven broiler to high and place sheet tray on the top rack of the oven. Let them cook until the tomato and the chiles begin to soften and have black spots all over. Place the tomates and chiles in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 5 minutes.
STEP 2
Drain the lentils, reserve 1 cup of the lentil cooking liquid, and mash them to break them up. Peel the poblano peppers, make 1 cut lengthwise with a knife, and remove the seeds. Remove half of the skin off of the tomatoes, and using a blender process them into a puree. Set a large pot to med heat, add oil, and onion. Cook for 4-5 mins until onion begins to soften and look translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
STEP 3
Add cooked lentils, mix well, and pour in tomato puree. Let cook for 3-4 mins. Add the raisin and plantain and bring to a simmer. Add clove, cinnamon, black pepper, plantain, apple, pear, almonds, olives, and capers. Stir mixture. Add 1 cup of the liquid you reserved from the lentils, and simmer for 20 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Soak the cut bread in the cup of almond milk for 5 minutes.
STEP 4
In a blender, place the soaked bread and milk, previously soaked and drained walnuts, sugar, and white wine, blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. It should have the consistency of a cream sauce. Stuff the chiles rellenos with the lentil picadillo. Place the chiles seam side down on a plate. Pour walnut sauce over them, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.
It is not traditional, but I like to add olives and capers. You can omit them if you like. To save time you can buy pre-cooked lentils, and substitute the tomatoes with 1 cup of pureed roasted diced tomatoes (canned). Do not heat up the walnut sauce. Instead of lentils you could use TVP, beefless crumbles or jackfruit.