Creamy Zucchini, Corn, and Poblano Rajas (Calabacitas con Elote y Rajas con Crema)
This rich and comforting dish is the perfect vegetarian filling for gorditas or tacos. This also makes a great accompaniment to grilled steak, pork, chicken, or turkey.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add zucchini and corn and cover and cook until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted and foamy. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to gently brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the poblano chile strips and the zucchini and corn mixture.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add the queso fresco and crema, and stir gently, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
Serve hot as a side dish or as a filling.
Notes
Roasting chile peppers: If you are unsure how to roast chile peppers, please refer to this blog post: How to roast chile peppers.
Choose your peppers of choice: Mild poblanos are readily available year-round. For a spicier chile pepper, try Anaheim or Hatch. You can also swap in mild green bell peppers instead. Learn more about a variety of chiles here.
Do I need fresh corn? Feel free to use frozen corn. Note that there is no need to defrost the kernels before adding them to this recipe.
No crema Mexicana? Substitute sour cream, crème fraîche, or even whole milk plain yogurt in a pinch.
No queso fresco? Feel free to swap in feta or Monterey Jack instead.