Mexican Brown Rice Pilaf w/Roasted Chiles, Plantains, Corn & Queso Fresco

11⁄2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup long- or medium-grain brown rice
1 small onion, finely diced
1 3⁄4 cups broth, preferably poultry
Salt, about 1⁄2 teaspoon if using salted broth, 1 teaspoon if using unsalted broth
3 medium, fresh chiles poblanos, roasted and peeled, seeded and sliced into short, thin strips
The kernels cut from 1 large ear fresh sweet corn (about 1 cup) OR 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup (2 to 3 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like feta or farmer’s cheese
Several sprigs of watercress or parsley, for garnish

The 3 chilies that I used were a little spicy for my 6 year old. He ate it, but needed a bite of mango after each one. :) I also served this with black beans & chorizo.

1. RICE: About 40 minutes before serving, combine the oil, rice and onion in a 11⁄2- to 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently for about 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Meanwhile, add the salt to the broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the broth to the rice mixture along with the chiles and corn, stir well, scrape down the sides of the pan, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
2. PLANTAINS: Peel and cube 2 very ripe plantains and fry them in a little vegetable oil over medium heat until browned and sweet. Toss with the finished rice.
3. Finishing the dish. When the rice has cooked 15 minutes, let stand off the fire, covered, 5 to 10 minutes, until the grains are tender (but not splayed). Add the crumbled cheese and toss the whole as- semblage with a fork to mix the ingredients and stop the cooking. Scoop into a serving bowl, decorate with watercress or parsley and serve.

Serving Size: makes 6 1-cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MINIFIREFLY.