Green Chile-Cheese Grits Souffle

Grits! How do I love them?  Let me count the ways. One of the ways I love them is to make a Green Chile-Cheese Grits Casserole or Souffle. I  haven't read a recipe for this dish, although there are are probably several floating around in the food universe. This has just evolved over the last several years and changes a little every time I make it. Combining southern and New Mexican ingredients, this is a wonderful side for just about any roasted meat. It could even find a place on your Thanksgiving table.

You must start with the best possible grits you can find. This means that no instant grits are allowed. Some folks swear by Anson Mills, but my favorite continues to Hoppin' John's Old fashioned Speckled Grits.

GREEN CHILE-CHEESE GRITS SOUFFLE

First you have to cook the grits. This is a slow process, but the time you take will reward you later with creamy and full-flavored grits.

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup grits
• 2 tables spoons salted butter
• 2 to 4 cup cream

Heat the butter and water in a heavy saucepan until the water is boiling. Pour in the grits, stirring as you do so that lumps won't form. Bring the grits to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook , stirring from time to time, until the water is absorbed. This could take from 10 to 12 minutes. When the liquid has been absorbed, add a half cup of cream and , again, simmer for 10 minutes or so until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the grits have reached the grits are thick enough so that they won't run on the plate; the cooking time should be at least an hour. Now the grits are ready to be transformed in a souffle.

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped roasted chile ( hot,medium or mild or a combination)
• 1 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• Kosher Salt and  Freshly Ground Pepper
• 4  extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

If you want your casserole to be more like a souffle, separate the yolks from the whites. Whip the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir  the yolks, cheese, chiles, salt and pepper into the grits until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Then fold in the egg whites. Place the mixture in a buttered casserole or souffle dish and cook at 350 degrees F. for approximately an hour. When the tip of a knife inserted in the center, comes out clean, the souffle is done. This won't be like a cheese or dessert souffle, light and airy; but it won't be as dense as it would be if you simply stir in the whole eggs.  Either way, the dish is delicious and satisfying.

If you have any left over, you can spread it in a pan and put in the refrigerator. In the morning you can cut into squares, dip in egg and breading and fry for breakfast. Some even like the left-overs better than the original dish.

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[cialis online]

Traditional cuisines of Orissa, Bengal, and Assam are delicately spiced. General ingredients used in Oriya, Bengali, and Assamese curries are mustard seeds, cumin seeds, nigella, green chillies, cumin paste and the spice mix panch phoron or panch phutana. Mustard paste, curd, nuts, poppy seed paste and cashew paste are preferably cooked in mustard oil.