Southwestern Quiche

I have a soft spot for the Southwest, that food in New Mexico is just fabulous. Chiles so abundant that the entire upper third of your body feels on fire, and your eyes start watering. And yet, the dishes still have so much flavor. Every once in awhile, I just crave something chock-full of chiles.

When this craving hits, I tend to turn to a cookbook my parents bought for me on their last trip to Albuquerque. This time, I wanted to try something a bit different, rather than the usual tamales and rellenos. This cookbook has a TON of breakfast dishes that sound good, so I finally settled on the Southwestern Quiche.

I made a few slight changes to the recipe (why waste good sirloin when I have some lovely chorizo sitting around?), it still turned out great. Heat comes from the spices and green chile, and the chorizo. But the egg mixture, cheeses, and a healthy dollop of sour cream help to mellow things out quite a bit (so this recipe is still great for small kids). So, no “nose running” this time, but still a lovely dish.

Cravings finally subdued for another day. Next time perhaps I’ll try the carne adovada…

Southwestern Quiche

(from Simply Simpatico)

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. oil
8 oz. chorizo

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1 larg onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 c. sour cream

3/4 c. chopped green onion

1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles

3 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Sour cream, sliced avocado, salsa (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush pastry shell with egg white and bake 5 minutes. Cool. Turn oven down to 325 F.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo, paprika, chili powder, onion, and garlic to skillet and brown well. Remove from heat and cool down slightly.

Combine meat mixture, cheese, sour cream, green onion, chiles, eggs, salt, and pepper and mix well. Turn into pastry shell and spread evenly. Bake 60 minutes or until filling is set and crust is nicely browned.

Cool slightly, then slice and serve. Top with a dollop of sour cream and salsa, and avocado slices.