"Rajas con Crema"

The word "rajas" in Spanish means "slices", but when a Mexican talks about "rajas" they are probably referring to slices of "poblano" peppers.  The "rajas" are usually served with "crema" which is similar to our sour cream.

Last week I had to fill a prescription at the pharmacy at a supermarket where I usually do not shop.  While I was there I picked up a few items that my usual supermarket doesn't carry.  One of those items was a bag of "poblano" peppers.

"Poblanos", which are named after the Mexican state of Puebla, are often stuffed... with cheese to make "chiles rellenos",.. or with a meat and fruit filling and topped with a walnut cream sauce to make the exquisite "chiles en nogada".  I wasn't going to do anything that elaborate.  I sliced them up to make "rajas".  I have to admit that I was lazy.  The peppers should first be roasted to bring out their mild, rich flavor.  However, it was a hot day, and I was not about to turn on the oven broiler, so I simply sautéed them in olive oil.

 

I added sliced onion and a can of whole kernel corn.  Another ingredient that is sometimes added to the "rajas" is "huiltcoche", the corn fungus that I wrote about in an earlier post.  Obviously you are not going to find "huitlacoche" in the stores up here, so I threw in some chopped mushrooms.  After taking it off the burner, I mixed in some sour cream.  Mexican "crema" is a bit different, but I wasn't going to drive all the way to the Mexican grocery store in Cleveland to buy a container.  Sour cream is fine as a substitute.

Alejandro had suggested that I use the "rajas" as the filling for tacos.

Honestly, the tacos were rather disappointing, mainly because the tortillas I bought at the supermarket, "Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas", were dreadful.  They had all the flavor of cardboard.  However, the next day I ate the leftovers straight from the refrigerator, and they were very tasty.  I would make "rajas con crema" again, but either as a hot side dish or as a cold salad.