Green Chile quiche……casserole

4-6 servings

Jobs for little hands!

• Grate the cheese
• Layer the cheese and chiles in the pan
• Crack the eggs into a bowl ( with parental help)
• Stir and pour the wet ingredients into the pan!

This casserole is also very simple and tastes great with a tossed salad and fresh french bread.. Fresh green chiles give it the best flavor.

Ingredients:

21/2 Cups fresh chopped chile or canned chile

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/3 cup milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Add Garlic salt and pepper to taste

dash of hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

•1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

•2.        Sray an 8×12 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray .

•3.        Line the bottom of dish with green chiles.

•4.        Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers twice more.

•5.         In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs.

•6.         Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce. Pour egg mixture over chiles and cheese.

•7.        Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set.

•8.         Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Fall is in the air. The smell of green chile roasting outside,  the leaves changing colors over the Bosque and the brisk mornings where the early skies are filled with rainbow colored balloons that prepare our city for the Albuquerque International  Balloon Fiesta .

Fall  is a time for reflection and change.  It is a time to say goodbye to summer and settle down into the cooler months. Its my favorite time of year, and one that always reminds me of the traditional New Mexican Fall festivals.  This weekend September 27-28 marks the beginning of the Corrales Harvest Festival, which is always a treat. Even the drive through Corrales during this time of year is a pleasure.  The town is vibrant, the harvest is ripe with corn, and pumpkins, and the fields mowed and ready for the onslaught of visitors.

It is also time for the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, which we host every year during the first week of October.  If you have ever looked into the sky and seen 100s of hot air balloons floating by you know what a uniquely beautiful site it is to behold.   My daughter and I usually visit the festivals each year and enjoy our share of local New Mexican cuisine.

New Mexicans celebrate this time of year with several unique dishes and most of them include lots of local green chile , squash and beans.  All these ingredients are traditionally  New Mexican  and been  used in Native American cooking for centuries.  They were  later translated into Mexican food and continue to be a part of the local flavor of the Southwest.

If any of you want to taste some great traditional Native cooking……..do stop by the Pueblo Harvest Café in Albuquerque at the Indian Pueblo Cultural center.   I am currently working over there part time and the Executive Chef  Jason Upshaw,  has done a fabulous job creating a Native fusion menu that features ingredients that are native to the 19 pueblos and combines them in a classical cooking style.

Enjoy the cooler weather and make sure to make time to cook up some chile.  I will be sharing several new recipes with you that use some of these native ingredients in the days ahead.  Fall is here!!

Chile Verde: Green Chile Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 5 hrs.

1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork boneless and diced to cubes

·        2 cups chicken broth

·        1 cup green chile sauce (homemade see above or in a jar)

·        1 cup tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped

·        2 roasted green chiles, seeded and diced

·        4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced

·        1 medium onion, peeled and diced

·        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·        2 cup of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh

·        1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar*
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups purified water

Preparation:

Brown the chicken or pork in a small amount of olive oil, over high heat.

Place the browned chicken or pork, chile sauce and tomatillos into a crock pot set on low, or a large, covered pot over low heat. Simmer for 2 hours. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 2 hours. Check every 30 minutes and add water as necessary. Serve hot.