It's been a little while since I published anything. I've been busy at work and little uninspired. I have taken some pictures and may post some recipes later. Today I make one of my (and my husband's) favorite for Father's Day breakfast, so here is is.
Huevos Rancheros
serves 2
Eggs (as many as you like to eat)
1/2 white onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed with a garlic press or finely diced
1 can diced tomatoes with chiles (I use the extra hot kind)
cilantro, to garnish
salt, to taste
2 corn tortillas, cut in half then into 1 cm wide strips
oil for pan frying
Chop your onions and garlic and cilantro first, so you don't have to worry about it.
Start heating a small layer of oil in a small flat-bottom pan. (Now is also the time to start heating your water if you are going to poach your eggs.) Cut the tortillas into strips. Toss the tortilla strips in the oil. Let them fry for a very shot amount of time (depending on your heat but I have a gas stove and on medium it takes about 10 seconds.) I like them kind of crunchy/kind of chewy. Lay them in a single layer on a paper towel to soak up the oil. Salt them at this point if you like. (I have this really tasty smoked salt that I use just for huevos rancheros.)
Heat just a tiny bit of oil in a pan (I use the same pan as the tortilla pan. Just pour out the access oil and leave the tiny bit you need.) Toss in the onions in the oil and cook until they turn clear. Then add the garlic and cook for about 20-30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and peppers (Do not drain). Stir and turn up the heat. You are going to let this mixture cook down while you cook your eggs.
For your eggs: You can fry, scramble or poach your eggs. I prefer to poach them, but this can be a little tricky. Here's the basic method. Fill a pot with about 3 inches of water and add a good splash of white vinegar. Heat to a simmer. You should see small bubbles coming up slowly. If you use a rolling boil you will break your eggs to pieces. Crack an egg into a small cup/mug/bowl. Gently let your egg slide out of the cup and into the water. Set a time for 3 minutes (this is the minimum it will take for a large egg). There is a trick to the timing that is kind of hard to learn. If the egg is young, it will take longer to cook (more like 4 minutes) because the egg whites stay in a tighter ball and thus it takes longer for the middle to cook. If the egg is older (i.e. been in your fridge for a week) it will take less time to cook (maybe even 2.5 minutes). This is because the protein in the egg whites are more broken down. You will actually see a lot more strings of egg whites in your water. It's science ;) Have paper towels laid out on a plate beside your pot. When your eggs look like they are cooked scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Lay them on the paper towel and then place another paper towel on top to blot them dry.
Put it all together and enjoy. I know it's a long description because I am explaining technique (maybe I'll do videos eventually. You can also find plenty of videos about technique on the interwebs. I like Chow.com for technique videos.) This really only takes about 20 minutes. I have made it all sorts of ways. I have used fresh tomatoes and peppers, but this is better to me. You can add cheese, black beans, avocados. Be creative, but this is a good base.
