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Breakfast Quesadillas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

Breakfast quesadilla with red chile sauce
David S. Deutsch for NPR /
/

I visited my friend Susan McCreight Lindeborg, a Washington, D.C., chef who recently moved back to her hometown of Las Vegas, N.M. She makes these quesadillas for breakfast during the chile season. They're also good for lunch or dinner. Or a snack.

Makes 4 servings

4 whole-wheat flour tortillas

1 medium onion, diced

2 large, fresh green New Mexico or similar chiles, diced (amount may be increased according to size or hotness of chiles)

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 eggs

1 cup lightly packed grated mild cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and saute the onion and chiles until both are soft.

In a bowl, beat the eggs until thoroughly mixed. Add the eggs to the onions and chiles and keep stirring gently until eggs are just done but a bit wet. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon a quarter of the egg mixture onto a tortilla, covering only half the tortilla.

Top the egg mixture with a quarter of the cheese and fold tortilla over the mixture, sandwich style. Brush the top of each folded tortilla with reserved olive oil.

In a large saute pan, brown the folded tortillas oiled side down over medium-high heat. While the first side is browning, brush oil on the second side. When the tortilla is lightly brown, gently turn it over to brown the other side. Keep finished quesadillas warm and covered in a low oven until all have been browned.

The quesadillas can easily be cut in half or even smaller.

Serve New Mexican Red Chile Sauce on the side (for pouring over quesadillas or dipping).

New Mexico Red Chile

Susan's recipe has been adapted over time using both contemporary and historic sources. There are as many methods of making red chile, she says, as there are cooks.

Makes about 6 cups

1/2 cup ground dry red medium-hot chile (Chimayo, if you can get it; available at Latino markets)

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 medium garlic clove, finely minced

1/2 cup peanut oil or other vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons crumbled dry oregano (preferably Mexican; available at Latino markets)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (best flavor is from freshly ground toasted cumin seeds)

1/2 cup flour

6 cups boiling water

In the bowl of a food processor, add the chile, tomato paste, garlic, oil, salt, oregano, cumin, flour and 2 cups of boiling water. Process mixture until it is smooth and transfer to a saucepan.

Add the remaining 4 cups boiling water, mix well and bring gently to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.

The chile is done when the texture has thickened enough to coat the food it will be covering. If it becomes too thick, add more water.

Taste the chile before removing it from the heat to make sure the flour has been cooked.

Leftover chile can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a week.

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