House guests come with the summer scene. While it’s a time to enjoy and relax with friends who have come to stay, cooking for them hangs in the balance. Getting it all together so everyone is having fun is the challenge.
For these situations, I have come to count on Mexican baked eggs. Why? It’s a non-traditional egg dish (closely related to the strata) with great flavor and appeal that can be prepared a day ahead, refrigerated and baked an hour before serving. Serve it for brunch with the refreshing fresh fruit compote with toasted coconut and cinnamon tortilla crisps, or for lunch or supper, adding steamed asparagus and a tossed salad.
Drinks can vary from cranberry juice over ice with a wedge of lime to frothed orange juice (in the blender) with or without Champagne to margaritas. With this scenario, the baked eggs take center stage and the host can feel confident about everyone enjoying the moment.
Mexican baked eggs with sausage and cheese
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours or overnight
Cooking time: 55-60 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
The sausage can be omitted if desired; just increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.
1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs, crusts trimmed
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
6 large eggs plus whites from 2 large eggs
4 ounces sausage, hot (or regular)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large white onion, split lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, roasted and peeled, see note, cut into short, thin strips
1 jalapeno, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces shredded chihuahua cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Salsa, corn tortillas for serving
1. Mix crumbs, milk and water in medium bowl. Whisk eggs and egg whites in another bowl until frothy. Set both aside.
2. Cook sausage in large skillet over high heat until crumbled and browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside on paper towels. Drain fat from pan.
3. Add oil to pan. Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add reserved sausage, bread crumb mixture, frothed eggs, 1 1/3 cups of the cheese and black pepper. Mix well. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese on bottom of greased 6-cup shallow baking dish. Ladle in egg mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove plastic before baking.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook in oven until well browned and puffy, about 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve hot, pass salsa and warm corn tortillas separately.
Note: To roast pepper, cut sides off in flat slabs. Arrange slabs, skin side up, in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil close to heat until blackened, about 8 minutes. Wrap up in foil to steam them. When cool enough to handle, remove skins.
Nutritional information per serving:
391 calories; 52% of calories from fat; 22 g fat; 10 g saturated fat; 260 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 906 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.
Fresh fruit compote with toasted coconut
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 3-5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
5 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
5 tablespoons each: fresh lime juice, water
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted, see note
Put 1 cup of the pineapple, lime juice, water and 1/3 cup of the sugar in blender. Mix until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl. Add remaining pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and rum. Taste; adjust sugar as needed. Serve chilled, sprinkled with toasted coconut.
Note: To toast coconut flakes, spread on baking sheet and bake in 350-degree oven until lightly toasted, stirring often, about 3-5 minutes. Cool completely.
Nutritional information per serving:
241 calories; 13% of calories from fat; 4 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 26 mg sodium; 6 g fiber.
Cinnamon tortilla crisps
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
8 8-inch flour tortillas
4 tablespoons each: unsalted melted butter, sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Brush with butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in small dish. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar mixture over each tortilla. Bake until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cut each tortilla into 4 wedges.
Nutritional information per serving:
313 calories; 35% of calories from fat; 12 g fat; 6 g saturated fat; 21 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 314 mg sodium; 2 g fiber.
Nutritionals by Jodie Shield
