Hello Recipe Club,

Just a quick note before I introduce this week's host. Last week, there was a small glitch in the forwarding mail system to the Vanilla Queen. If you did not actually type your email address into the emails that you sent, you won't be able to win a book. There is still time to register to win one of six copies of her books. Look for the link at the bottom of this page in the free stuff area.

I would like to introduce you all to Chef Steve Collins. Steve Collins is the author of the award-winning cookbook, Grilling and Smoking with The Home Chef. He is also co-owner of Cafe Sotarano in Santa Fe, NM and a columnist for National BBQ news. You can buy the cookbook and see what else Steve is up to at www.thehomechef.net If you have any questions about the recipes, you can e-mail Steve at steve@thehomechef.net. He loves to answer readers questions.

This week Steve will share some of his favorite holiday recipes...Enjoy!

Holiday Breakfast Menu

These recipes were created when I was the chef at an inn outside of Santa Fe. The inn specialized in weddings and these dishes appeared with others at the sumptuous breakfast buffet served the morning after the wedding. The guests loved these dishes and I hope you will too. I got many requests for the recipes.

Chef Steve Collins

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Chilaquiles with Scrambled Eggs

We discovered Chilaquiles when we moved to New Mexico. This is a breakfast version of the dish. This is my wife's favorite. It's easy to prepare. Everything up to the eggs can be done in advance and even frozen. Wrap in cling wrap and freeze. When ready to cook, take out of the freezer and put it in the oven without the eggs for twenty minutes then follow the rest of the recipe. If you use a metal baking dish, the chilaquiles can go right into the preheated oven. If you are using a glass or ceramic dish, follow the manufacturer's directions as you don't want the dish to crack from the heat.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 to 5 cups corn tortilla chips
4 cups green tomatillo salsa (recipe below)
2 cups queso fresco or mozzarella, grated
2 cups cheddar, grated
1 dozen eggs, beaten
1/4 cup half and half
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red chile sauce (the heat of this will govern the heat of the dish)

Preparation:

Put a two inch layer of corn tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Cover generously with the green tomatillo salsa. Cover with half of the two cheeses. Bake just until the cheese melts in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Meanwhile mix the beaten eggs and half and half and scramble until soft but slightly runny. Remove from heat and stir in the scallions and cilantro. Pour the soft eggs on top of the chips and cheese in the baking dish. Cover with a layer of corn tortilla chips, a layer of both cheeses and generously drizzle the red chili sauce over the top. Bake until heated through and the cheese on top melts. Serve.

Roasted Hatch Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 Hatch chilies, roasted and chopped
2 cups chicken stock or 2 tablespoons concentrated chicken bullion
1 #6 can crushed tomatillos
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Preparation:

In a deep pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and chilies and cook for another minute. Add the chicken stock or concentrate and tomatillos. 

Raise heat to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until one third of the liquid is cooked off, stirring as needed. Stir in the sour cream and cilantro.

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Mushroom Asparagus Strata

This elegant dish is perfect for your holiday breakfast. This recipe gets done the day before and all you have to do in the morning is bake and serve. You are free to enjoy your guests and relax and accept the complements that are sure to follow. If you want, add a cup of a good thick ham, diced to the asparagus mushroom mixture. Once you have this recipe down, you can experiment using other vegetables.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends snapped off where they naturally break
1 pound mushrooms (cremini, portabella or button)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 cups cheddar, grated
3 cups mozzarella, grated
16 eggs
4 cups half and half

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Put bread on a baking sheet and put into oven for two hours (bread should be thoroughly dried out, the drier the better). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" baking dish.

While drying the bread, make the mushroom asparagus mixture. In a sauté pan at medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the asparagus and cook until it turns bright green. Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften (about three minutes).

Butter the tops of half of the dried bread and arrange on the bottom of a baking dish. Cover with half of the mushroom asparagus mixture and then cover with half of the grated cheese. Butter the top of the rest of the bread and arrange on top of the first layer. 

Cover with the remaining asparagus mixture and then the cheese. Mix the eggs and the half and half thoroughly and pour evenly over the assembled casserole. Cover well with cling wrap then top the casserole with weights. (Two one-gallon containers of milk work well for this.) Refrigerate overnight.

Remove the strata from the refrigerator and let rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove and let the strata sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Cranberry Orange Scones

These scones are a great addition to any breakfast, or serve them for afternoon tea with some clotted cream and your favorite jam. Heaven!

Makes about one dozen scones

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, diced to 1/4 inch
1/4 cup dried cranberries
zest of 1 orange
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup cream
juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar mixed together

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put flour, baking powder and sugar into the workbowl of a food processor. Pulse two or three times to blend ingredients.

Add butter and pulse several times until you get a coarse meal texture. Turn mixture out into a mixing bowl. Stir in cranberries and orange zest.

Reserve two tablespoons of beaten eggs for brushing on completed scones. Mix together remaining eggs, cream and orange juice. Fold liquid into dry ingredients with a few quick strokes.

Pat together into a ball. Then press flat. Fold into thirds and press flat again. Fold into thirds again and then roll dough out until it is 1/2 inch thick. Cut into circles with a floured cutter. Brush each scone with reserved egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven.