Brunch Eggs with Green Chilies

I don't believe in diets, or fads, or deprivation. I believe in eating healthy, fresh, food as much as possible, making the right choices, not keeping junk food in my pantry and in portion control. However, I love food. I mean, I really, really, love it. So we eat burgers, pepperoni pizza, jalapeño popper dip, I cook with butter, and I have even been known to (gasp) buy my kids a happy meal from that big evil restaurant that starts with an "M". I do realize there is an obesity epidemic in this country, but there is also a laziness problem as well. My family and I are not overweight, we keep health issues like cholesterol under control, we exercise, and  we make responsible choices when it comes to food. That being said, I don't want to be told what to eat or how to eat. If your diet works for you, and you love it, great, but please quit acting like it's your religion and freaking out about every little thing.

If  you see me at the store with a loaf of wheat bread, tomatoes, bacon, chocolate ice cream, and a gallon of milk- please do not ask me any of the following questions: 1. "Are you buying/is it organic?" 2. "Do I know where that pig came from?" 3. " Does the ice cream contain corn syrup?" 4. "Do I know how bad grains are for me, my digestion, etc?" and 5. " Do I know how much sugar milk has and then reference some soy/nut/goat substitute" The basic answer to all of these questions is: I may or may not know, but it is really none of your business, so quit talking to me about my diet. I am going home to make the best meal ever, BLTS with chocolate shakes and I'm sorry that you'll never enjoy it." ( I would never really say something like that to someone but I want to, oh man, I want to.) Maybe because I live in Portlandia these questions/conversations are more abundant in my everyday life, maybe it's just my pet peeve of late, but I'm tired of it.  I am not saying that I am not concerned about where my food comes from, what goes into my body or whether or not my kids are eating nutritionally, I am simply saying enough is enough.

 Lately I've been reading a lot of blogs, restaurant reviews, etc that either apologize for the unhealthiness of a recipe or downgrade a restaurant not based on taste or service, but on the caloric content of their menu. For example, a local burger place has a few bad reviews because " while the burgers are delicious, our family could not make this a weekly dining option because of the high calories, so three stars." SERIOUSLY? Why did you take your family to a place called Killer Burger and then order a quarter pound cheeseburger with bacon and onion rings?!

Why am I telling you about/ranting about this you may ask? I am talking about this because I don't want to have to include a warning label with every recipe that I post. Caution: high fat content, high calories,  MAY MAKE YOU FAT!! That kind of thing just takes away the joy out of cooking for me. Would you want to go have a beer and have the bartender serve it to you with a note that read: " Full of carbs. Empty Calories. Have more than two and you may get a headache." Would you enjoy your beer after that? You are smart people. I have faith that you can figure out when to substitute for lower fat, when to only have one slice, etc. So from now on I am not going to say any of these things, besides what the serving size should be. Let Freedom Ring!

My mom made this recipe for Christmas breakfast in a casserole dish. She got the recipe from a co-worker, but there are similar versions all over the internet. I cut this recipe in half and baked it in a 9 inch quiche pan. If you choose to double it, just use a square 9x13 inch baking dish!

Brunch Eggs with Green Chilies
Serves 5-6 

 5 eggs
 1/4 cup flour 
1 cup cottage cheese
 1 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
 1 4 oz can diced New Mexican green chilies (like Ortega, Trader Joes) 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in baking dish in oven. In a large bowl, beat eggs until "lemony" (all mixed together a lemon yellow color). Add flour, baking powder, salt, shredded cheeses, cottage cheese and chilies. Mix together and pour into baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Enjoy!