Roasted Poblano Pepper, Sweet Potato and Monterey Jack Spoonbread

I'm excited to try this recipe. I've never made spoonbread. I'll be making mine with green chiles. I probably cut this out of The New Mexican.

Serves 8

1 C mashed sweet potato (about 3/4 lb whole potato)
1/4 t cumin
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 fresh poblano peppers (or green chiles)
2 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C cornmeal
4 T butter, softened
4 eggs, separated + 2 extra egg whites*
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Generously butter a 13 x 9 baking dish or large souffle dish.

In a small bowl, mix the sweet potato with the cumin, 1/2 t of the salt and the black pepper. Set aside.

Roast the chiles. Then cut them into 1/2" by 1" strips.

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic till onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sitr the onion mixutre and the peppers together and set aside. This part can be done up to a day in advance.

Combine milk and broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it is just about to boil. Whisk in the cormeal in a steady stream, and continue to whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in softened butter and sweet potato mixture while the cornmeal is still hot. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg yolks lightly then whisk into the cornmeal mixture along with the baking powder and remaining 1 t salt. Fold in the onion and pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese.

In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites to  lighten the batter, then fold in the remainder. Spoon batter into the prepared dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake until golden and puffy, about 45 minutes.

Per serving: 360 calories, 13 g protein, 37g carbohydrate, 18 g fat (8g saturated), 138mg cholesterol, 601 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

*If you made the chelo kebabs, you'll have 2 egg whites left over

** Delicious! It was great with the Acorn Squash dish. Beware- it was a bit involved with all the steps. Not hard to do, but time consuming. Also- I used course grind cornmeal- made for more texture.