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Roasted tomatillo salsa:
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1 pound tomatillos, washed and husk removed
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1 cup white onion, roughly chopped
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5 garlic cloves, in the husk
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1 serrano, seeded and veins removed
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2 dry chipotle Meco, soaked in 1 cup of hot water
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1 cup cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped
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1 teaspoon salt
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¼ cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
On a baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with nonstick oil, roast the tomatillos, garlic cloves, and serrano until soft and slightly browned, about 35-40 minutes.
In a glass measuring cup soak the dry chipotles in one cup of water, microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, set aside.
Once the tomatillos are soft, remove them from the oven and let them cool down for 5-6 minutes, transfer to a blender, with the chipotles and the water they were soaking in, the oregano, salt, cilantro, and ¼ cup of olive oil, puree until smooth. You should have a thick pure if it’s too thick add some water to form a thick salsa.
Heat a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, carefully add the salsa from the blender, and cook until it comes to a boil. Stir a couple of times, take off the heat, and set aside.
For the filling:
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1 bunch swiss chard
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1 red onion, thinly sliced
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2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
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1 poblano pepper, roasted peeled and sliced
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4 tablespoons olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon salt
For the stuffing:
While the tomatillos are roasting, soak the swiss chard in water chop and pass it through the salad spinner, take the steams and dice them up. Set aside.
In a large sautee pan over medium heat-high heat up the remaining olive oil, saute the minced swiss chard steams and onion until soft, 2-3 minutes add the mushrooms and saute until soft, 4-5 minutes more, add the leafy part of the chard, season with salt and add the roasted poblano and continue cooking until the filling is cooked through. 2 to 3 more minutes. Set aside.
To assemble the Pastel:
Take the corn tortillas and brush them with vegetable oil one by one, on one side, stack them up on a plate, cover them with a paper towel or clean kitchen rag. Microwave them on high for 1.5 to 2 minutes. The tortillas should be hot and pliable. Transfer the tortillas to a cutting board and cut them in half.
To assemble the Pastel:
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10 corn tortillas
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¼ vegetable oil
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2 cup shredded Jack cheese
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½ cup Mexican crema
Take an oven-safe glass baking dish 8X8X2 (or thereabout) and spay it with non-stick oil. Add a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of the pan, then a layer of tortillas to cover the bottom, add another layer of salsa, 3-4 ladles worth, then a layer of the vegetable mix about ½ of it, then cover with a thin layer of cheese and 6-8 small dollops of crema. Add one more layer of tortillas overlapping if necessary to cover the whole dish, add a layer of salsa, the rest of the vegetables a thin layer of cheese, and the rest of the crema.
For the last layer make the tortillas as thigh as possible and cover with salsa, and top with the cheese.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the salsa is bubbling on the sides.
Enjoy with a side of beans or a simple green salad.
