For beginners, experts, or anyone that wants to make this awesome dish!

Alright guys, in today’s post I would like to introduce a very well-known dish in Guatemala that originates from XelajuNoj, Quetzaltenango. Quetzaltenango is the second largest city in Guatemala and is where most tourist go when they visit Guatemala, it’s a beautiful city filled with old structures, handmade knick-knacks and traditional Mayan foods. What we will be learning to make today is Chiles Rellenos!

Choosing the Peppers

The peppers that I used for this dish are called Chiles Poblanos, which is normally used, you can also use red bell peppers if you prefer. The reason why I choose Poblano peppers is because it has a wonderful large size to it, a mild flavor, and heat. Remember these will be stuffed, so the fatter the pepper the easier to stuff!

How to make a Chile Relleno

Roast the peppers until they have charred marks, this helps to give a charred flavor to the pepper and makes it easy to peel the skin off. The best way to get the skin off of the peppers is to stick them in a sealed plastic bag or a sealed plastic container after roasting and letting them cool down. This traps the steam and softens the skin making it easy to just grab and peel the skin off. Peel the skin off the pepper and then carefully slice them open on one side of the pepper and make a “sack”, remove the membranes and seeds with a spoon, this will help keep the dish from being too spicy.

What do I stuff my peppers with?

Once the peppers are peeled and deveined you can stuff them! These ones are stuffed with cheese, which is my favorite way, I like to use Oaxaca cheese. You can also stuff them with some shredded chicken, or pork, or finely chopped brisket if you wanted.

How do I make the Chile Relleno batter?

For the batter, separate the egg yolk from the egg whites and use an electric beater, trust me, you will need it! Beat the egg whites until they are a stiff peak (egg whites do not fall off the beater when you lift it from the bowl, and they form a little mountain peak). Slowly one by one add the egg yolks and keep mixing. Here is a very helpful video that can teach you how to beat eggs into the perfect peak!

IMPORTANT:

Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 375 degrees F.

How to assemble

Alright guys, once you have everything ready and your oil is at 375 degrees F it’s time to get cooking! Take your Relleno(stuffing) and scoop it into the poblano pepper. Then lightly coat the pepper in all-purpose flour then dip it into the egg batter and carefully place it into the hot oil. Cook them until the batter is a golden brown. Place the chiles rellenos onto a paper towel to soak up most of the oil. This dish is always best served with a tomato sauce.

BUEN PROVECHO!

When cooking you have to know what the right ingredients are, certain ingredients don’t give the right taste or texture. Cooking most Guatemalan dishes have some similar ingredients, for example a base of tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, salt pepper, and bouillon to get a dish started make a Guisado Geeh-sah-do. One of my favorite dishes are Guatemalan Hilachas, here is a link for that recipe.

Throughout all the years I’ve been cooking I have learned what products are best to cook with. Per my opinion, here are some staple seasonings that I ALWAYS have in my pantry. They are a specific brand called “MALHER” now these products are made in Guatemala and distributed all over the world. Really proud of these awesome products!

 These products add so much flavor into any dish, they don’t overpower the natural flavor of what you are cooking, they simply enhance the taste to them. These are a staple in any Guatemalan home, these seasonings are sometimes hard to come across but you can find them in stores that sell Latino products. Here in Utah, I have to travel to Salt Lake City (about a 3-hour drive from my home) to find Malher products. 

My mother always taught me to taste while cooking, I don’t measure my ingredients, I season until my ancestor whisper in my ear and say, “Ya estuvo, Mija” (That’s enough my sweet child). Well, not exactly, but I like to take pinches of the seasoning and sprinkle it on, taste, and sprinkle some more if needed. You don’t have to go to culinary school to learn to get a “PIZZAZZ” in your dishes. Just make it you. Chefs always taste their food while cooking, it really is important because that’s when you will know what to add to your food. A tip I have for you is that if you are making some type of stew or soup you have to wait for it to boil again after adding in any seasoning or herb, that’s when the ingredient will be well incorporated and infused. Thats when the spices, herbs, and seasonings will display it’s true flavor. 

Not always adding more means better, sometimes I think that adding in the right spices and amount adds a better taste. Here, I have provided a link that will help you identify what spices and herbs taste like and what they enhance in your foods. 

Don’t be afraid to try new things in your foods, the world provides us with so many spices, herbs, and seasonings that they are really meant for us to use. Remember to cook with love, and Buen Provecho!

The Breakfast of Champions

The best way to wake up in the morning according to Guatemalans is having a good old Desayuno Chapin, this breakfast is called the Breakfast of Champions in my book. Desayuno (Dey-sah yoono) Chapin (Cha-peen) meaning Guatemalan Breakfast, Chapin is just a nickname for Guatemalans and if this breakfast is named after them, then IT MUST BE GOOD. This breakfast is offered at almost any local restaurant in Guatemala, it is best accompanied by a strong cup of coffee to really wake up that Mayan inside of you. 

Well, let me tell you now, there is nothing exotic about this dish, but what makes it so special is that the ingredients are so simple but they are the perfect pairing of flavors, The medley of ingredients that are served on your plate demand to be mixed up, mashed up, and licked off the plate, ya, it’s that good. 

Don’t knock it till you try it! El Desayuno Chapin is assembled with such low cost, pocket-friendly ingredients as you can see in the photo.

First and foremost, you gotta have the beans! Beans are the staple in many Guatemalan dishes, especially this one. The beans can be served whole or blended into a velvety consistency, most Chapines are okay with either one as long as they are homemade, cooked in salt and water, the only way to cook them. 

The next two essential ingredients are the eggs and tortillas, they are must-haves. The eggs are best scrambled but you can make them any way you want them, honestly, you don’t have the be the greatest at making them since this dish is best mixed with all the other elements.

The tortillas! Made from sticky dough called Maseca, they are shaped into a flat circle and cooked on a hot metal stove or skillet until crisp on the outside. 

The final ingredient on the plate are the plantains, I believe this is essential in most Guatemalan homes since they are so easy to make and super delicious! They are typically pan-fried they always accompany el Desayuno Chapin. Slightly caramelized on the outside and tender, chewy, and sweet on the inside and they’re ooh-sooo GOOD!

There are other add-on features to this tasty breakfast like adding on a slice of Queso Fresco(Fresh cheese) and a dollop of sour cream, they add such creaminess to the whole dish. I always like to crush my queso fresco and then mix some sour cream into the beans, you have to try it. Buen Provecho!

Pan-Fried Plantains

When frying plantains, be sure to watch them closely, especially when they’re near done. With their high sugar content, they burn easily–believe me.

Ingredients

2 yellow-black plantains, sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbs. unsalted butter or a neutral-flavored oil

Kosher Salt

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat (if using oil, heat until shimmering hot). Add about a third of the plantains and cook, flipping occasionally, until browned and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, sprinkle with a bit of salt and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining plantains, cooking them in two more batches and adding more butter or oil, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.