I have just listed 6 more day classes--including the ever popular Green Chile Fiesta and the Red Chile Fiesta and my Balloon Week Tamale Roll classes.  Any of my day classes, weekend, week long or Oaxaca tour make wonderful Gift Certificates just in time for Mother's Day, graduation, wedding or whatever occasion.  And of course--a great gift to yourself for just being YOU is always a grand idea.   If you wish to purchase a gift--just note it when you purchase it and we will send you a Gift Certificate.    All of my classes are set up for online purchasing.

Between working on setting up the new classes, I have been doing tons of gardening.  My Bearded Iris are just amazingly beautiful and whenever I look at them and enjoy their delightful fragrance--gorgeous coloration and delicate ruffled edges, I feel that all the hard work gardening is worth it.  This past weekend, was a time to catch up on getting many, many seeds in the ground for delicate to bright and short to tall flowers in my many beds front and back.  I also planted some herbs and hibiscus.  I have been having a  trying time with critters eating some of my plants which is so disappointing--however I just keep fighting back with various repellents such as oil of clove and Bobbex.   We miss Donner, my German Shepherd who kept lots of them at bay. 

I think brunches are a great way to set a celebratory tone for Mother's Day.   Two of my favorite Southwestern brunches are Huevos Rancheros with a special Sonoran Sauce and  a Chorizo Quiche.  The Sonoran Sauce is delicate, pretty and spicey--using a yummy chicken stock base with chunks of freshly roasted green chiles, onion rings and slightly cooked tomato wedges.   This sauce cloaks poached eggs setting atop corn tortillas and is dusted with grated cheese and a tuck of Romaine.

The Quiche  is so much fun and can be set up ahead of time.  Freshly roasted green chiles create a pretty and perky "crust" for the quiche which is created with beaten eggs, cheese, chorizo and a  garnish of thinly sliced  red onion rings. 

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH SONORAN SAUCE

Often found on Mexican restaurants’ menus, this is easy to prepare at home.  This sauce can be made in advance so breakfast or brunch is simply a matter of poaching or frying the eggs. 

Yield:  4 servings

1 recipe Sonoran Sauce (following)
8 corn tortillas
8 eggs
1 cup shredded mixed Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar cheese 
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, tops included
1 avocado, sliced into thin wedges
1 large tomato, cut into wedges

1.  Prepare sauce and keep it warm.  This may be made several days or up to 3 months ahead and frozen.  Place tortillas in a plastic bag to warm 1 minute in the microwave or wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 325° F oven 15 minutes.  Heat 4 serving plates in the same oven.
 
2. Fry or poach them.  Assemble the dish by placing a tortilla on each plate; then pour about ¼ cup of sauce over each tortilla and put 2 eggs on top.

3. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded cheese and a few green onions slices over each serving.  Place plates back in the oven only long enough to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes.  Garnish each plate with avocado and tomato wedges.  Pass remaining warm sauce and tortillas separately. 

Sonoran Sauce

Yield:  2 cups or 4 servings

1 Tablespoon butter
1 medium-size onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 green chiles, parched, peeled and cut into 1-inch-wide slices
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into wedges

1. Heat butter in a skillet.  Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is softened.  Stir in flour until well blended. 

2. Add chiles, broth, and salt.  Cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, then cook about 5 minutes to blend flavors.  Add the tomato wedges and serve as a sauce with burritos, or use as a sauce over poached eggs atop tortillas. 

Recipe reprinted with permission from Jane Butel’s Southwestern Kitchen .

GREEN CHILE-CRUSTED QUICHE

Quiche is usually quite mild in flavor – but never say no to this sassy version. It’s good for brunch, lunch, or supper, and it’s easy to put together, especially if you already have parched green chiles on hand in the freezer. If you’d like to turn down the heat a bit, just substitute fried tortillas for the green-chile crust .

Yield: 6 servings

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 to 8 large fresh New Mexico hot green chiles, parched, peeled, seeded and de-ribbed

½ pound chorizo or hot Italian sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled, browned, and drained

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup light cream

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 Tablespoon Caribe (crushed Northern New Mexico red chile) or 1 teaspoon Pequin;Quebrado, or to taste

½ cup hot salsa, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate, preferable ovenproof glass or pottery. Line the pie plate with chiles, opening each one out completely and arranging with points at the center of the plate. Arrange chorizo in an even layer across the bottom of the chile crust.

2. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, cilantro, and cream. Very carefully pour into pie plate, being sure not to disturb distribution of sausage. Evenly sprinkle cheese over egg mixture, and then place onion rings in a circle just inside edge of pie plate. Sprinkle Caribe or pequin evenly over all and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with salsa on the side, if desired.

Reprinted with permission from Hotter Than Hell by Jane Butel