Huevos Rancheros (Foodies’ Style)

Around here, Huevos Rancheros aren’t anything special or out of the ordinary (we call them Huevos a la Ranchera). You’ll find them at any restaurant for breakfast, or you’ll probably get them on a weekend at your parent’s house. Essentially, it’s a corn tortilla spread with beans and topped with fried eggs and tomato sauce. I tried to give it a little twist. I used a “tostada” for the base, which is a crisp corn tortilla (we have a baked variety at the local stores, which helps make this dish healthier), and instead of refried beans, I used whole black beans and also added some avocado as a topping. I should mention that the type of tomato sauce you use for this dish is important. Don’t use any Italian type of sauce for this. You need basic tomato sauce. Also, cilantro is important. I don’t know why, I never have cilantro when I need it! I didn’t put any in mine, but I had some dried cilantro so I sprinkled some on top. Not the same thing, not even close. So please, get some fresh cilantro when you plan ahead for this.

Huevos Rancheros is not something for your weekday breakfast, when we’re all on the go… try on the weekend when you have a little more time to enjoy them.

Oh, and don’t forget the coffee. Always have coffee with your Huevos Rancheros.

Buen provecho!

Helga

Huevos Rancheros (Foodies’ Style)

A The Foodies’ Kitchen Original Recipe
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 crisp corn tortillas (tostadas)
1 can whole black beans
1¼ cup tomato sauce (not italian style)
1 avocado, sliced
½ white onion (a small one, diced)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried cumin
Crumbled dried cheese
Cream
Fresh Cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Procedure:

In a small pot, bring the can of beans to a simmer. Add the cumin and lower the heat, just to keep them hot.
Meanwhile, heat a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it heat up for a moment. Add the diced onions and let them cook for about 3 minutes.
Lower the heat, and add the tomato sauce. Be careful! It will splatter. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside
Heat another pan, and give it a good coating of cooking spray. Crack your eggs, two at a time and “fry” them sunny side up.
Now, assemble. On a plate, place 2 corn tortillas, slightly overlapping over each other. Spoon some beans on one side (drain the juice off the spoon before you put them on the tortilla) and arrange half of the sliced avocado on the other side. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of cream on top of the beans, if you’re using.
Place 2 eggs on top, and top with your reserved tomato sauce.
Sprinkle with crumbled cheese, fresh cilantro and season with a bit more salt and pepper. A little Tabasco sauce wouldn’t be out of place here.
Dig in!

Couscous Tomato (Pico de Gallo) and Zucchini Salad

Last week was Holy Week, and that meant a long Holiday. I went away for a few days, and I was in charge of the lunch time salad. Rather than doing the old lettuce-tomato combo, I wanted to try something that would go well with grilled steak, using Pico de Gallo and would be fresh as well as filing. So, here is a Guatemalan version of a Couscous Tomato and Zucchinni Salad.

Additional to the zucchini, I added Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco. Pico de Gallo is a fresh, uncooked salsa made from chopped tomato, white onion, lime juice or apple cider vinegar and fresh cilantro (coriander leaf). And for the Queso Fresco, it’s a Guatemalan-Mexican farmer’s cheese, but you can find this cheese at any US Walmart from the Cacique brand.

This salad was a huge success! Some of our friends haven’t had couscous before, and they were pleased. This is a crowd friendly recipe, giving about 12 big servings and it’s best served chilled.

Kitty

Cous Cous Tomato (Pico de Gallo) and Zucchini Salad

A Foodies’ Kitchen Original Recipe
Serves 12

Ingredients
2 cups of couscous, uncooked
3 cups of water
1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock
1 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1 1/2 cups Pico de Gallo, strained – recipe follows
1/2 Queso Fresco (farmer’s cheese), diced
Olive Oil, for serving

Directions:

First, prepare the couscous. Bring 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vegetable stock to a boil. Remove from heat.
Add couscous. Cover the pot and leave it for 8 min. Fluff it with a fork.
Remove the couscous from the pot and transfer into a big bowl. Let it cool down for about 15 minutes.
After the couscous cools, chop the zucchini and bell pepper. Add to the couscous. Mix a bit.
Add the Pico de Gallo and diced Queso Fresco. If you don’t find Queso Fresco, you can substitute it with Feta Cheese. Mix well.
Keep in the fridge until it’s time to serve. This salad is best cool.
Serve with a drizzle of olive il.

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients
4 large plum tomatoes
1 medium sized white onion
1 cup of chopped cilantro, about half a bunch
1 tablespoon of salt
Juice of 2 limes

Directions:

Dice tomatoes and onion. Chop cilantro.
Put all ingredients in a bowl.
Season with salt and the lime juice. Mix up.

03:06 PM
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- Couscous, pico de gallo, salad, summer salad, Tomato, zucchini
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Roasted Tomato Sauce

Oh this gorgeous red. We’ve had this recipe in the back burner for a couple of weeks now. After a few days of being away from the kitchen – and an overflow of Roma tomatoes – I dived into the kitchen for an entire day. After I baked the Zebra Bundt Cake, I was wondering what to do with all those tomatoes, and then it hit me… Roasted Tomato Sauce! I have been playing with the idea of a mash-up between Tortilla Soup and Red Wine… in a sauce.

This recipe came together as I was cooking. With 25 tomatoes, I had to increase what I usually put into the sauce. You’ll think that adding only one red bell pepper to the sauce is too little… It was huge! If you only have medium-sized bell peppers, feel free to increase it to 2 or 3. If you don’t want to add the wine to the recipe, use beef stock instead. Beef stock has the depth of red wine and it’s more flavorful than chicken or vegetable stock. After you add the beef stock, taste and adjust your seasonings.

This sauce is great for pasta, as a Pizza or Bruschetta base. It can stay refrigerated for up to 8 days. If you freeze it should keep longer, just make sure to thaw it in the fridge rather than on the counter!

Kitty

Roasted Tomato Sauce

A Foodies’ Kitchen Original Recipe
Yield: 4 cups
Good for up to 1 week

Ingredients
25 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 medium-sized onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 big red bell pepper, cut open (or 2 medium-sized ones)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for sautéing
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon of finely chopped oregano
1 tablespoon of finely chopped thyme leaves
1 cup red wine

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
Apply non-stick spray to two cookie sheets. Place tomato and bell peppers cut side up.
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325ºF and roast for another 45 minutes.
Increase the temperature to 400ºF and roast another 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and remove the garlic and onions from the tomatoes and bell peppers, just set them aside on the pans.
Transfer the tomatoes to a blender, and give it a few pulses until the tomatoes puree.
Take your roasted bell peppers and cut them just enough (not finely or you’ll get a paste).
In a very large skillet, add remaining olive oil. When hot, add the onions and bell peppers.
Add the tomato puree to the skillet and stir.
Add red wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Taste and season if needed.
Remove from heat, and use as needed.