Baked Chiles Rellenos & Peruvian-Style Ceviche

These were both firsts for Local Okra. We have been meaning to make ceviche for a long, long time and we finally did it. It literally could not be easier to make. If you've got time to squeeze some limes, then you can make ceviche. It only needs about 3 hours to marinate before it's ready to eat.



The stuffed poblanos are a little more labor intensive, but still fairly easy to make. The hardest part is getting the skin off the peppers after roasting them. These were really good though and since we baked them, not nearly as bad for you as the deep fried version.



Peruvian-Style Ceviche

1.5 lbs tilapia filets, cubed (next time we will use red snapper for a firmer texture)
juice of 10-12 limes
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and then cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Serve with sliced avocado and tortilla chips.



Chiles Rellenos

3-4 large poblano peppers
1 large can of refried beans
garlic powder
cumin
chili powder
1 cup of fontina cheese, grated
1/2 cup of Mexican crumbling cheese
bread crumbs
1 egg



First cut a slit down the side of each pepper, but do not remove the seeds. Next, roast the peppers in a dry frying pan until mostly browned, turning often. You don't want to cook them so much that they lose their shape. Once all sides are browned, remove them from the pan and place them into a plastic bag and seal tightly.



Meanwhile, mix the cheese and beans, along with garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder to taste, in a large bowl. After 15 minutes, if the peppers are cool, peel off the skins of the peppers. After the skins are removed, pull out the seeds, leaving the stem intact. Stuff each pepper with the bean/cheese mixture. Brush each pepper with the egg and then cover with bread crumbs. Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with warm tomato sauce or fresh salsa.

Koldolmar--Swedish Cabbage Rolls with Venison

We got the recipe for these cabbage rolls out of a Swedish cook book that came from Ikea. Hilarious, right? According to our resident Swede, the recipes in it are all very authentic. These looked so delicious that we made them the first time we had some venison and they were a huge success. Since we didn't document them that time (and because they are SO tasty, of course), we decided to make them again. Our good friend LA was lucky enough to have enjoyed them twice!!!

The filling for the rolls is essentially the same as our venison loaf minus the mushrooms and basil. We also used two small shallots instead of an onion and added about 1/3 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.






To prepare your cabbage for rolling, cut out the core completely so that the leaves can be easily peeled away without breaking. Put these in some lightly salted, boiling water for about three minutes and then put them into an ice-water bath.


Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the cabbage leaves are cool, drain and dry them. Spoon some of the venison mixture into the thicker end of a cabbage leaf and roll, tucking in any excess at the sides.









The next step is to heat a skillet to medium-high heat and then add olive oil and about 1/4 cup of molasses. When this is good and hot, add the rolls one at a time, seam side down. All you want to do is brown the bottoms so that they caramelize. This will probably take two rounds.






Transfer the rolls to a casserole dish and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.



Meanwhile, add some stock (any kind you have) to the skillet and scrape up all the little bits left over from the rolls. Add a little heavy cream and you've got a sauce. Half way through the cook time, take the rolls out and cover them with the sauce so that they stay moist.






You might want to cut into one of the rolls after 20 minutes to see if the venison is still pink in the middle. If so, cook for a few more minutes.






Serve with boiled potatoes with fresh dill (grows easily in your garden!). We also had some of Michelle's amazing pickled eggs, which went perfectly with this Swedish feast.