Do you ever wonder how they come up with those names for dishes at your favorite Mexican restaurants? I do! Chiles Acapulco! I have visions of deep blue ocean water, white sands and fresh seafood at every meal, lol! I will be honest and tell you that I borrowed the title of this dish from a Mexican restaurant that we stumbled upon in September on one of our day trips here in central N.Y. When you grow up eating authentic, homestyle Mexican food, it’s very difficult to convince yourself that any Mexican restaurant will live up to Mom’s cooking. But, once in a while, you have to take a chance and give it a try. I can’t remember the last time I ate at one of the local Mexican restaurants. We were quite a distance from home and the colorful window display was all it took to get me in the door. I will usually bypass all the typical dishes, such as tacos and enchiladas in search of something different or special. All I read was chiles rellenos de camaron (chiles stuffed with shrimp). Did not have to look any further. My only request was that they give me salsa verde instead of cheese sauce on my beautiful roasted poblano peppers. Done! They were delicious! I was inspired to prepare for our anniversary that coming week. It was so simple, but so tasty and comforting. My husband’s without any cheese, of course! Oh, and by the way, the very people at www.CalPureFoods.com were nice enough to send me a bottle of their tasty Extra Virgin Avocado Oil. I used it in many dishes for a whole week. I love avocado oil!
Chiles Acapulco
Ingredients
4 large Poblanos, roasted, peeled and seeded
For Salsa Verde
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, peeled and washed
1 small white onion, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic
4-6 chile serrano (or 2-3 large jalapeño), stems removed
Salt to taste
For Shrimp
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (or1 pound smaller shrimp)
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
chile de arbol powder or cayenne pepper
garlic powder
avocado oil
Juice of 1 lime
You Will Also Need
1 -1 1/2 cups Chihuahua, Oaxaca or jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Mexican crema
chopped cilantro
Directions
For salsa: Add tomatillos, onion, serranos and garlic to a pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 6-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ingredients to the blender. Add 1/2 cup of cooking water and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth, set aside.
After you clean the shrimp, season to taste, with salt, pepper, chile de arbol, and granulated garlic. Drizzle with avocado oil. Set aside.
In a skillet, preheat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Cook the shrimp for 4-6 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. If the shrimp are thick, I like to cover them while they cook to ensure they cook all the way through the middle. Remove shrimp from hot pan onto a plate and squeeze on the fresh lime juice. Set aside.
Pour the salsa into a saucepan and heat to low while you finish. To each poblano, add a light layer of shredded cheese. Stuff with 5 jumbo shrimp per poblano. Add a little more cheese, wherever it fits. Place chiles 400 degree F preheated oven for a 8-10 minutes or until cheese melts.
To plate: Add some warm salsa verde to the plate, top with stuffed poblano. Drizzle on some crema and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and a fresh avocado salad.
I enjoy avocado oil for everyday cooking. It has a high smoke point and has just a mild flavor. www.CalPureFoods.com
Shrimp and roasted poblanos! With or without the cheese, this was very tasty! 
Easy roasting! Fifteen to twenty minutes under the broiler, turning as needed.
I had extra large shrimp and could just fit 4 in one poblano pepper. Ok, maybe 5! One peeking out on top.
Super simple and delicious. Salsa Verde!
Be generous with the salsa on the plate. Enjoy! You can top with cheese and then melt under the broiler, but the cheese inside of the poblano was just enough.
My cheater trick for “crema”. Take regular sour cream(light or full fat), add enough lime juice and cold water to make it more liquid. Season with salt tot taste. Still tasty!
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