Chile Cheese Egg Casserole

This recipe was in the Sunday Parade magazine a few months ago.  I've made it once, and my mom has made it several times.  She often cooks it Saturday night, and it reheats beautifully for Sunday morning.  Very filling and delicious.

Chile Cheese Egg Casserole

1 stick (½ cup butter)	1 quart (4 cups) cottage cheese
10 eggs	½ cup marscapone cheese
2 egg whites	1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack
½ cup flour	2 (8 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 tsp. baking powder	Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.  Melt butter, and pour half into a 13x9 baking pan, and set the other half aside.  Beat eggs and egg whites lightly in a large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking powder, chiles, all cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well.  Pour egg mixture into baking pan.  Pour reserved butter over the top.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350° and bake 35-40 minutes or until casserole is set.

(That's the way the recipe appeared.  I did make a few alterations-- I just dumped 12 eggs in there, without separating the 2 egg whites.  And my family isn't a huge fan of spicy foods, so I only put one can of chiles in.)

Knox Blocks

I never remember what proportions of Jello and Knox Blocks go in this recipe.  I made them a couple of weeks ago, though, and this recipe turned out just right.  Better write it down before I'm scratching my head and wondering again in a month.  Evan remembers this treat from childhood, and loves it.

Knox Blocks

3 envelopes Knox gelatin	4 cups boiling water
4 pkg. (3 oz. each) Jello

Mix gelatin and Jello in a heat-safe bowl.  Pour in boiling water and stir briskly until completely dissolved.  Pour in a 13x9 pan.  Cool in fridge for 4-5 hours.  These are very firm blocks, easy to eat with your hands!

You can choose any four flavors of Jello.  We like 2 boxes of grape and 2 boxes of cranberry, but it's fun to try new combinations!

Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

And, tonight's supper!  For a side, I have some sweet potatoes cooking in the crockpot, a yummy-looking recipe from the new slow cooker recipe book from Cook's Illustrated.  I'm hoping that turns out good.  I've made these pork chops several times since I first saw the recipe in Family Circle magazine, they're super yummy and easy!

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries	½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar	1 T butter
¼ cup raspberry vinegar	Pork chops, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick
1/8 tsp. ground ginger	½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg	½ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves	½ tsp. rubbed sage

In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, vinegar, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.  Stir in ½ cup water and bring to a boil, crushing berries with a wooden spoon.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Take off heat, stir in butter.  Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat.  Season the pork chops with the spices.  Lightly grease grill pan and grill chops 5 minutes per side.  Place chops in baking dish and bake for 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145°.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Serve with warm sauce on the side.

Fish Tacos

Here's what's for supper tonight, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated The Best Skillet Recipes.  Lots of yummy recipes in this book!  This recipe is one of my favorites, and once I learned the right order to prepare it all in, it's a pretty quick meal.  Eun Hui, the California girl, even pronounced it "authentic".  The recipe calls for cod, but I tend to buy cheaper fish, like tilapia or swai, which has the advantage of frying much faster, too.  The chipotle mayonnaise is excellent on sandwiches as well, so don't worry if you make too much!

Fish Tacos

Chipotle Mayonnaise

¾ cup mayonnaise	1 T lime juice
1-3 tsp. minced chipotle pepper	1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 T minced cilantro leaves	Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and set aside

Cabbage

¼ head green cabbage (12 oz.), shredded (about 4 cups)	1 tsp. vegetable oil
3 T minced onion	½ tsp. salt
2 T cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and set aside

Fish

½ cup flour	1 tsp. salt & ½ tsp. pepper
1 T chili powder	1 ½ lbs. white fish, cut into strips

You will need oil for frying, and tortillas for serving.  The recipe suggests corn tortillas, but I usually have flour on hand, so I use those.

Whisk together the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Dredge fish gently, letting excess flour fall back in bowl.  (Can shake gently in a mesh strainer to remove excess).  Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Oil is ready when a little piece of the chopped cabbage bubbles quickly when placed in the oil.  Add the fish and cook on one side, 1-2 minutes.  Carefully flip, and finish cooking (another minute or two), until fish flakes easily with a fork or paring knife.  Place fish on a paper towel-lined plate.  Heat tortillas, smear on chipotle mayo, place a few pieces of fish on top, and top with cabbage mixture.  Eat while the fish is hot!