From above, the dish resembles a luscious green field speckled with ruby-red pomegranate seeds and capped by glossy, snow-white walnut sauce. The contrasting colors and visual depth create an inviting and sumptuous sight.

Festive Chiles en Nogada

Name: Festive Chiles en Nogada
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: Poblano chilies, 4 charred, peeled, and deseeded; Ground beef, 250g cooked; Pork loin, 250g cooked, shredded; Pears, 2 finely chopped; Apple, 1 finely chopped; Peach, 1 finely chopped; Tomatoes, 2 finely chopped; Onion, 1 finely chopped; Garlic cloves, 2 minced; Walnuts, 1 cup soaked overnight; Mexican Crema, 1/2 cup; Cinnamon, 1 tsp; White wine, 1/2 cup; Pomegranate seeds, 1 cup; Parsley leaves, small handful chopped; Olive oil, 2 tbsp; Salt, to taste; Sugar, 1 tsp

Category Main Course

Prep 45 minutes

Cook 30 minutes

Style Mexican

Technique Sauté

Diet Friendly Gluten-Free

Daily Recipe: September 16, 2023

In celebration of Mexican Independence Day, let's delve into the vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican cuisine. The recipe we're spotlighting today is Chiles en Nogada, an iconic, patriotic dish that beautifully represents the colors of the Mexican flag with its vibrant red, green, and white ingredients. The star ingredient is the Poblano chili, a mild chili pepper from Mexico, stuffed with a delectable mixture of meats, fruits, and spices covered with a creamy walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients (for 4)

Poblano chilies - 4 - charred, peeled, and deseeded
Ground beef - 250g - cooked
Pork loin - 250g - cooked, shredded
Pears - 2 - finely chopped
Apple - 1 - finely chopped
Peach - 1 - finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 - finely chopped
Onion - 1 - finely chopped
Garlic cloves - 2 - minced
Walnuts - 1 cup - soaked overnight
Mexican crema - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
White wine - 1/2 cup
Pomegranate seeds - 1 cup
Parsley leaves - small handful - chopped
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp

Preparation

Step 1 - 🍳🧅🔥

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant.
Step 2 - 🥩🍐🍷

Add the cooked meats (beef and pork loin), chopped fruits (pears, apple, and peach), chopped tomatoes, cinnamon and white wine to the skillet. Mix them well and let it cook until everything is well combined and slightly caramelized. Season with salt to taste.
Step 3 - 🌶️🥄🍲

Fill each charred, cleaned Poblano chili with the meat and fruit mixture. Set these aside after filling.
Step 4 - 🥜🥛🥣

For the walnut sauce, blend the soaked walnuts, Mexican crema, and sugar in a food processor until it gets smooth.
Step 5 - 🥘🥛🥗

Pour the smooth walnut sauce over the meat and fruit filled Poblano chilies, making sure to cover them thoroughly. Sprinkle a generous amount of pomegranate seeds on top.
Step 6 - 🍽️🍀🥳

Finalise the dressing by sprinkling chopped parsley leaves on the top. They give the dish a hint of Mexican Independence Day charm with its red-and-green presentation.

Additional

This visually festive dish holds great significance as it was reportedly prepared for the first Mexican emperor, Agustín de Iturbide, when he returned to Puebla in 1821, the year of Mexico's independence. Feel free to substitute the meats with a vegan meat substitute for a vegetarian variation of the dish. Kids can easily assist in preparing the garnishing items, like deseeding the pomegranates and picking the parsley leaves.