Huevos Rancheros

Today my family is continuing to fight a bug that first manifested itself as the flu in Abe and spun into an icky, feel-like-your-head-is-gonna-explode cold for the rest of us. As a result, I'm feeling rather uninspired in the way of blogging, but I still wanted to get a Food on Friday post in today, especially since I didn't post at all this past week. I promise an update on "life" soon--I have a lot of fun photos and stories to share!

I'm always on the lookout for good meat-free recipes, since our family tries to eat a vegetarian dish 1-2 times a week, both for our budget and for its health benefits. This recipe won me over by how fresh and bright it looked, and when we actually tasted it, the result was fantastic too! In fact, the bean mixture is so tasty, Abe and I enjoyed some on tortilla chips before eating it for dinner. We prepared our eggs over-easy, but feel free to scramble or fry yours if you prefer!

Huevos Rancheros

3 cups cooked black beans, divided (or 2 15-oz. cans, drained and rinsed)
Juice of 1 lime
¾ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. kosher salt
2-3 tbsp. chicken or vegetable broth (optional)
2-3 tbsp. butter, divided
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
6 large eggs

To serve:
Shredded cheese, such as pepper jack, white cheddar or Monterey jack
Fresh salsa (be sure to use a good salsa--Chi-Chi's won't star in this dish as well!)
Sour cream
Hot sauce
Sliced avocado
Cilantro

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1½ cups of the black beans, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Process until smooth. If necessary, add broth 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve an even consistency. Transfer the mixture to a bowl or saucepan and mix in the remaining 1½ cups of beans. Set aside.

In a heavy skillet (I like cast iron), melt ½ tablespoon of the butter over high heat. One at a time, add the first three tortillas to the skillet, flipping once, until slightly charred on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Melt an additional ½ tablespoon of butter and brown the remaining tortillas. Set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Gently crack the eggs into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and let cook until the white is fully cooked through but the yolk is still soft. (Cook eggs in batches if necessary.) Meanwhile, heat the bean mixture until warmed through either in the microwave or on the stove.

Place each tortilla on a plate. Spoon some of the bean mixture over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top each tortilla with a cooked egg. Top with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, and avocado as desired. Garnish with cilantro.

source: Annie's Eats (can you tell I LOVE her blog?!?!)