Breakfast gets a south-of-the-border influence
One of the benefits of getting up early on the weekends for a
long workout is that I sometimes still have time to come home and
cook a hearty breakfast. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person
so most days I stick to a piece of toast with jam, a hard-boiled
egg white and a glass of fat-free milk. But some weekends I like to
splurge with something a little more.
Breakfast gets a south-of-the-border influence
One of the benefits of getting up early on the weekends for a long workout is that I sometimes still have time to come home and cook a hearty breakfast. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person so most days I stick to a piece of toast with jam, a hard-boiled egg white and a glass of fat-free milk. But some weekends I like to splurge with something a little more.
A few weeks ago, my mom and I decided to make huevos rancheros, which is one of my dad’s favorite breakfast items to order out at restaurants. A search for recipes revealed a variety of options from traditional recipes that use fried corn tortillas and ranchero sauce to ones that used feta cheese as a topper. Below are two recipes for huevos rancheros that are perfect for weekend meals, along with the recipe for ranchero sauce and refried beans.
Huevos rancheros
Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson
2 small tomatoes
1 small onion
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic; 1 chopped, 1 smashed
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
4 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Prepare the salsa: Set a grater in a large bowl; grate the tomatoes and onion into the bowl. Add the jalapeno, chopped garlic, hot sauce, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Fry the salsa in the oil until it thickens slightly, 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the beans to the same pan along with the smashed garlic, 1/2 cup warm water and a pinch of salt; cook over low heat until warmed through, smashing slightly with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another skillet. Fry the eggs sunny-side up; season with pepper.
Place one warm tortilla on each plate. Divide the beans among them, then top with a fried egg, some salsa and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the remaining salsa.
Per serving: Calories 360; Fat 19 g (Sat. 6 g; Mono. 9.5 g; Poly. 2 g); Cholesterol 228 mg; Sodium 430 mg; Carbohydrate 33 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 16 g
Traditional huevos rancheros
Courtesy of Mexican Cooking Made Easy
2 c. ranchero sauce (see recipe below)
4 corn tortillas
½ c. vegetable oil
4 large eggs
½ c. shredded jack cheese
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Warm each tortilla in the skillet for 15 seconds on each side, until soft, drain. Fry the eggs, yolk-side up, in butter. Pour 1/3 c. of the warm sauce on each plate, place the tortilla in the sauce and an egg on each tortilla. Spoon remaining sauce on the eggs and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with refried beans and fresh fruit.
Ranchero sauce
Courtesy of Mexican Cooking Made Easy
2 c. chopped tomatoes
¼ c. water
1 tbsp. onions
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. sugar
Cook chopped tomatoes and water over medium heat until tomatoes soften Mash tomatoes and add chopped onions, salt, pepper, cumin and sugar. Remove any skins. Serve warm on tamales, enchiladas or eggs to add flavor.
Refried beans
Recipe courtesy of Mexican Cooking Made Easy
1 c. dried pinto beans
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ c. reserved
Remove any twigs or small rocks from bulk beans.
Wash beans thoroughly. Place in a deep pot with 3 c. water. Bring to a boil and slowly add baking soda. Remove heat, skim off the foam, cover and let stand in liquid for one hour.
Add two more cups of water to the beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour, stirring once, until the beans are tender. Reserve 1 ½ c. liquid for use during mashing or further cooking.
Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add cooked beans and 1 ½ c. of the bean liquid. Add salt and ¾ c. shredded cheese. Mash until smooth and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Serve warm and top with reserved cheddar cheese.
