Huevos Rancheros

When I recently had this version of Huevos Rancheros in a restaurant, I just had to reproduce it. The restaurant served it for brunch, but I made it as a simple supper for Ron and me. I saved some time in its preparation by using canned black beans, purchased salsa, and store-bought guacamole. The recipe below serves 2; you’d need a second person in the kitchen to make this in a larger quantity, because once you get going, you need to work fast.

Huevos Rancheros:

1 large flour tortilla (per plate)

½ c. (125 mL) oil, for frying (see Note)

2 large eggs (per plate)

½ c. (125 mL) cooked brown rice (per plate)

½ c. (125 mL) cooked, drained, rinsed black beans (per plate)

1 small scoop fresh tomato salsa (per plate)

1 small scoop Guacamole (per plate) (See Guacamole Note)

1 small scoop sour cream (per plate)

Fresh cilantro, as garnish

Hot sauce, optional

Assemble ingredients. Warm serving plates in the oven. Heat both sides of tortilla in a large skillet and transfer to warm plate in oven. Heat oil in large skillet: I used a generous amount, allowing eggs to crisp as they cook. Break eggs into small, individual bowls: This will allow you to work faster as you plop and separate them into the hot oil. 

As the eggs fry, place a large scoop of brown rice at the top left of each tortilla. This rice will become the bed upon which the eggs will rest. Place a large scoop of black beans at the top right of the tortilla. Below it, fan small, individual scoops of salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Turn eggs “over easy,” frying a few seconds more. Transfer eggs onto rice. Garnish with a few cilantro sprigs, serve immediately, and pass the hot sauce!

Note: Lower the fat content of this recipe by substituting fresh tomato sauce for the oil in which the eggs cook. You can make your own tomato sauce quickly and easily: Slice one ripe, medium tomato in half, grating the cut side into a skillet and discarding the skin. For this recipe, use one tomato for every 2 eggs you intend to cook. Warm the sauce over medium-high heat, slipping each egg into it. When the eggs are cooked, pour sauce and eggs over the brown rice on the tortilla.

Guacamole Note: If you like Guacamole as much as I do, you may enjoy Sarah’s Guacamole and Heart ’n’ Soul Guacamole. Each is excellent. 

Brown rice …

Black beans ... a healthy start to a great vegetarian meal!

Warm flour tortilla on griddle or in large skillet.

Cook eggs over easy, allowing them to crisp slightly.

Begin arraying ingredients on flat top of tortilla.

Work at the edges: Keep colors and flavors distinct.

Guacamole, rice, beans, sour cream, salsa ...

And finally, the eggs! Serve with hot sauce.