Huevos Rancheros

"To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries

To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese

To leather, to dildos, to curry Vindaloo

To Huevos Rancheros and Maya Angelou!"

            --Rent

photo: Rent-SoCo.com

In Jonathan Larson's rock opera Rent, the last number of Act One is "La Vie Boheme", a love letter to all things bohemian. Handcrafted beers from local breweries, I can understand - but what exactly is bohemian about leather and dildos? I don't think real bohemians would even wear leather. Actually, now that I think of it, I can't figure out what's bohemian about half of what's mentioned in that song (Pee Wee Herman? Really?).

Anyway, whenever I hear anything that's mentioned in that song, I have the overwhelming urge to sing it. I never do, of course, but it does take out the seriousness of certain situations (for me).

Professor: "Today, we are going to watch a film by Kurasawa!"
My brain: "ANTONIONI, BERTOLUCCI, KURASAWA! CARMINA BURANA!"

Bartender: "What type of vodka would you like?"
Me: "What do you have?"
Bartender: "Well, we have Grey Goose, Stoli, Absolut..."
My brain: "TO FRUITS, TO NO ABSOLUTES! TO ABSOLUT! TO CHOICE! TO THE VILLAGE VOICE!"

Friend: "Boy, do I enjoy the musical stylings of Bob Dylan."
My brain: "GINSBURG, DYLAN, CUNNINGHAM AND CAGE! LENNY BRUCE! LANGSTON HUGHES! TO THE STAGE!"

Does it get annoying? Yes. That song never leaves my frickin' head. And now it's probably in yours.

Let's make some Huevos Rancheros!

HUEVOS RANCHEROS, courtesy of "Cook This, Not That"
YOU WILL NEED:
1 (16oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes, with juice
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped chipotle pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 (16oz) can black beans
Pinch of ground cumin
8 eggs
8 corn tortillas 

mise-en-place

I couldn't find chipotle peppers for the life of me (I probably wasn't even looking in the right place), so I'm simply omitting them, and adding a half a teaspoon of chipotle pepper powder to the tomatoes instead.

1. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle cilantro, and half of the lime juice in a food processor and pulse until well blended but still slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Mix the black beans, cumin and remaining lime juice in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Use the back of a fork to lightly mash the beans, adding a splash of warm water if neccesary (I found that a spoon was way more effective for mashing).

3. Coat a large nonstick skillet or saute pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Break the eggs into the skillet; cook until the whites have set but the yolks are still loose and runny.

4. On a seperate burner, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add the tortillas, 2 at a time; cook for 1 minute on each side, until lightly toasted.

5. To assemble the dish, spread the tortillas with the beans, top with the eggs, and top the eggs with the salsa. Garnish with more cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.

¡Olé!

A beautiful plate, if I do say so myself. I was incredibly pleased with the end result. The chipotle powder did its job, which was provide some smoky heat to the eggs. Once the yolk was broken and it oozed onto the salsa, it was just incredible. The tortillas were absorbant enough to not make the dish into a runny mess.

The addition of the chipotle powder gave the salsa a little kick, but if you don't like spicy, or you're making it kid-friendly, it's fine to omit the spice (or the pepper, if you can find them).

Breakfast for dinner doesn't get any better than this! This is also a great meal to serve for brunch, or a late breakfast with close friends. It's easily multiplied to feed more than 4 people and takes very little time. Can I also add that the salsa tastes amazing on some Wheat Thins? All in all, this was one of my favorite meals that I've ever made.

Keep your eyes peeled for another dessert recipe: Margarita Cupcakes!

Until next time - eat, drink and be merry!