Simply Baked Green Chili Scrambled Egg Souffle

This year has moved so slow but yet I look back and can’t believe it is April. Many of you know we’ve been in a transition period.  My husband is finally living in the States again and hopefully soon having work to rely upon. Working overseas is great but when you come home, reestablishing yourself can be tough,especially when you come home unexpectedly. Though it may be April Fool’s Day I still am choosing to believe that good things are right around the corner.

And one good sign is this.

Helen, he’s alive! He made it through winter and Mr. TC snapped this picture last Monday. He is definitely looking quite dapper and winter didn’t hurt him one bit. Walking down the middle of our street and looking like he rules the neighborhood is his protocol.

Turkeys are supposed to be very wise and at one point were considered over the eagle to become our national bird. In any case, I consider it a good sign to have a turkey in my neighborhood.

So now Easter and Passover are behind us and spring has sprung. I am trying to believe that the doom and gloom that has been too often my shadow has replaced itself with sunshine and longer days. I am counting on being able to get my haircut and discarding every item no longer necessary in my life, including boxes that haven’t been opened for years. I am feeling the changing of the seasons and  hoping to see the eruption of the tulips that my rabbits haven’t devoured yet. Speaking of which we are back setting rabbit traps and securing our perimeter to no avail. This morning we caught a squirrel and he was not happy. But the rabbits just stand and pose; daring us to outsmart them. Next up is chili pepper spray but don’t tell them I told you.

But this morning, on a Monday, I made breakfast. It doesn’t happen on most Mondays; at the beginning of the month; or on April Fool’s Day, that I make breakfast. I think my husband thought I was pulling a prank on him. Of course the joke was on me because he had to consume it while on a conference call and couldn’t even come up for air. But hopefully with the beginning of Spring we will have new fresh thoughts to fill our horizons. And new beginnings always need sustenance so why not start with breakfast?

While perusing old cookbooks I spied this quick, simple egg souffle. I don’t really like the name souffle because that sounds like a lot of work. Which this is not. This is one of the easiest, tastiest egg recipes I’ve ever tried. You can tailor it to your own specifications and you can serve it for company. It looks very elegant in its own little souffle dish and everyone knows that individual servings are so much more fun. Aren’t they? And most importantly they make everyone feel special, especially when it’s Monday morning. And just a note. They rise very nicely, just like a souffle, but they do fall rather quickly, so serve them right away.

And last but not least, I wish I could travel like my blog does. Last month my food went from the diner to Italy and then to Greece. It stopped in China on the way to some great Jewish comfort foods. Yeah, This is How I Cook!

Baked Green Chili Egg Souffle  from the Brooks Street Inn, Taos
(Serves 2, but may be doubled or tripled!)

4 large eggs
1/3 c half and half or milk
dash of worcestershire, garlic powder,salt and pepper (I love Lawry’s seasoning salt)
4 T chopped ham, crisp bacon, cooked chorizo, smoked turkey
1/2 c shredded jalapeno or your favorite cheese
1 T chopped green chilies (From the can if you don’t have fresh) or Hatch chilies

Butter or spray with cooking spray (2) 1 cup ramekins. Preheat oven to 350. I use my convection toaster oven to cook these.

Place 2T chopped meat in each ramekin.
Place 1/4 c cheese on top of meat.
Add 1 T of green chilies on top of cheese.
Mix eggs, milk and seasonings together. Whisk well. Pour evenly into each ramekin. (I had a little egg left over. My dogs were very happy when I scrambled it for them!)

Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes. Since I used my small convection oven they were pretty much done in 40 minutes.

Serve with toast, potatoes or fruit. Or all three! And you could even put a little salsa on the side.

And don’t forget: She’s on the homestretch. If you feel inspired check this out!

Cupcakes for a Cure

And a few others you may want to try:

Egg Salad
Okonomiyaki (It’s what you want!)
Mexican Garlic Lime Shrimp
Tuscan Beans and Potatoes
World Peace Cookies
Sugar Cake