I think Mexican food is one of my all time favorites. Growing up in Southern California, the availability of "good" Mexican food was not hard to find, it was everywhere. I have so many old favorite places that served everything from Tex-Mex cuisine to more authentic regional Mexican cooking. I do miss those places. Badly.
This particular dish is a take on Huevos Rancheros (Ranch Eggs), a classic Mexican breakfast dish usually consisting of fried eggs served on top of corn tortillas with a chili-based salsa and avocado. It's an awesome way to start the day!
But I have to say this salad also has many of my favorite ingredients...black beans, green salsa, chips and cheese. The tomatillo or green salsa gives so much flavor. I have always preferred a green salsa over red anyway. The broiling of the chips also gives them that extra-toasty crunch which is just makes it all worth the trouble.
It's a great main meal for lunch or dinner, and why not breakfast and it explodes with flavor. Why wait, make it today...it's also extremely economical.
Adios amigos and let us know how you like it!!
Huevos Rancheros Salad
From Everyday
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons store-bought tomatillo or verde salsa
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper
One 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
4 cup tortilla chips
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
3/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
4 eggs
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup salsa and 2 Tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper if needed.
In a medium bowl, mash half of the black beans with the remaining 3 Tablespoons salsa. Arrange the tortilla chips on the prepared pan and top with the mashed beans and the cheese. Broil until melted, about 3 minutes.
In a bowl, toss the lettuce and remaining black beans with the salsa. Divide the tortilla chips among 4 plates; top with the salad.
In a large nonstick skillet, fry the eggs in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place an egg on top of each salad.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard andwinery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer forDavis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everydayliving. She lives with her husbandand two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.