Scrambled Mozzarella Eggs

6 extra large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put butter in a 9-inch round metal cake pan in the oven just long enough to melt but not brown; remove and swirl butter to coat bottom and sides of pan.

Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper to blend. Pour into prepared pan and place in oven. When mixture begins to set, in about 5 minutes, draw a large spoon or spatula around sides and bottom of the pan to form large curds. Repeat process at 1 minute intervals for 2 or 3 times, depending on how set you want eggs. Remove from pan with sweeping motions of the spoon or spatula, and fold in mozzarella. Serve at once!

Quesadillas

12 flour tortillas
3/4 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chiles
3/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
Sour cream, if desired

Lay out 6 tortillas, reserving 6.

In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and distribute evenly over each tortilla. Cover each with another tortilla. Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until bottom is crisp. With a wide pancake turner, turn, and fry other side until crisp. Remove from heat, and drain on paper towels. Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Makes 48 wedges.

Poached Eggs with Tarragon and Yogurt

6 poached eggs
2 cups Dannon? Plain Yogurt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Arrange eggs on hot serving dish. In saucepan, mix yogurt, paprika and tarragon. Salt to taste. Stir over low heat until warm. Spoon over eggs. Garnish with parsley.

Makes 3 servings.

Pinon-Cheddar Tamales

Filling
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 fresh serrano chiles, minced
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 pound mild Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare dried corn husks. In a bowl, mix filling ingredients together.

Masa
6 cups Masa Harina?
1 tablespoon salt
1 3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup garlic-flavored oil, or vegetable oil
    plus 1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 1/2 cups chicken stock, or more

Measure the Masa Harina? and salt into a large bowl. Add oil or oils, the garlic powder if you are using it, and the stock. Mix with your hands until smooth. When well blended, the masa should have the consistency of moist cookie dough. Add more stock if needed for consistency. Keep the dough loosely covered while working.

Hold a corn husk flat on one hand, smooth side up. Spread dough over the husk. With a rubber spatula, spread a thin layer of masa across the husk, but not to the edges. top with filling spread more thickly through the dough’s center, stopping short of the dough’s edges. Make sure that the dough’s edges meet to enclose all the filling. Secure the tamale by folding the wrapper over or tying it. Steam tamales.

Basic Hard-Cooked Eggs

Place the number of eggs desired, 2 tablespoons water per egg and a pinch of salt in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Place covered pan on heating unit and turn heat to high until steam appears. Turn off heat but leave pan on unit for 25 minutes. Plunge eggs into ice water to cool. Peel immediately. Yolks will not darken by this method.

Pickled Eggs

3 cups beet juice or cooking water from fresh beets
1 cup red wine vinegar
8 whole black peppercorns
4 whole allspice
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
6 hard cooked eggs, peeled

Heat beet juice, vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf to boiling; pour over eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Onion Cheese Strata

1 (16 ounce) package Mrs. Paul’s? Onion Rings
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
2 cups milk
4 to 6 slices white bread, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except onion rings and bread in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Butter a shallow 9-inch square baking dish. Place 1/2 the bread and onion rings in dish and cover with 1/2 egg mixture. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat layers, ending with onion rings. Bake 45 minutes or until puffy and browned and all egg has set.

Serves 6 to 8.