iEat Green - 09.23.21 - Lisa Ott

Lisa Ott is the President and CEO of The North Shore Land Alliance. Lisa is a native of Kentucky, a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the Columbia Business School Program for Non Profit Management and the Yale School of Forestry Conservation Finance Program. She is the past chairman of the National Affairs and Legislation Committee of the Garden Club of America and former Trustee of The Nature Conservancy, Long Island Chapter. 

 

Awards and Distinctions

2004, 2006 and 2009- Appointed to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Open Space Committee for Region I 

2004 and 2006 -Nassau County Environmental Bond Selection Committee 

2006- Women: Trailblazers of the New Millennium Award from the Nassau County Legislature

2006- Woman of Distinction Award for the 15th New York State Assembly District

2007- Town of Oyster Bay Environmental Leader's Award

2011- Zone III Conservation Award from the Garden Club of America (State-wide)

2020 – Medal of Merit from the Garden Club of America

 

Stuffed Chile Rellenos, with Cashew Lime Crema, GF. 

10-12 Large Poblano Peppers for stuffing

Filling

1 onion, chopped

1 serrano pepper, diced 

1 Japanese eggplant, diced (2 cups)

1 yellow summer squash, diced (2 cups)

1 green pepper, iced (1 cup)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tbs. chopped garlic

1-1/4 t. salt

½ t. chipotle powder

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 t. chipotle powder

1 can black beans

2 Tbs. Chopped cilantro 

The Batter

½ cup Masa Harina

½ cup besan flour (chick pea flour)

1 t. baking powder

1 Tbs. potato starch

Juice from 1 can of chick peas

½ t. salt

3/4 cup water, plus 1 Tbs.

 

Cashew Lime Crema

2 cups cashews, soaked 3 hours or more, then drained

1  cups water

 

Juice of 1 lime, 

½ t. salt

 

For the Sauce

1 onion, diced

1 serrano pepper, diced 

1 small purple sweet pepper, diced

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tbs. garlic

¼ t. salt

1 t.  dried oregano

Procedure

For the Filling;

1. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a few minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, steam the eggplant for 10 minutes until soft.
3. Add the summer squash, spices, & salt to the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add the steamed eggplant, the black beans and the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking, until all the tomatoes have broken down. Add the brown rice and 2 Tbs. cilantro and continue cooking for a few minutes, letting the flavors come together. 

Broil the Peppers

• Lay the peppers out on a cookie sheet, lined with tin foil, and broil them on all sides until slightly charred. You want to blacken the skin so that you can peel them. After they are charred, put them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 10 minutes, steaming. This will make peeling them easier.

• After 10 minutes, peel the peppers and set aside.

 

For Crema- Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. 

1. Add 1 cup of the cashew crema to the vegetable stuffing. Set the remainder Crema aside for serving.
2. Adjust seasoning in vegetable stuffing to desired taste.

 

For The Batter-

1. In an electric mixer, whip the Fava Juice until white peaks form. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the water, mix well until no lumps remain. 
3. Fold in the Fava whites until well blended.

 

Stuff the Peppers-

1. Make a small slit partially down the side of the pepper, and cut out the stem and remove the seeds and ribs. Fill each pepper with the filling, trying to keep the opening small, until all the peppers are filled. (If you have leftover stuffing, it can make great nachos!) 

Make the Sauce

1. Sauté the diced onion in a little olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Serrano pepper and purple pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. 
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree the tomato mixture and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the sauce gets a deeper red color. Add the oregano.

Bring it All Together

1. Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter, and fry them in a light oil until golden brown.  (To make ahead of time, All of the peppers can be fried and then stored in a pyrex dish to be re-heated the following day.)
2. Heat the tomato sauce and serve over the Chile Rellenos, with a drizzle of the Cashew Crema on top. (I thinned out a small amount of the Cashew Crema so that I could drizzle it on top using a squeeze bottle) I served the rest of the Cashew Crema on the side instead of sour cream. 

 

Enjoy!