Cowboy Eggs (Huevos Rancheros)

So... I wasn't joking about this Mexican craze I'm on.

In all seriousness, between the corn, avocado, tomato, fresh cilantro -- Mexican people know how to get down with the summertime produce (I wasn't referring to the cheesy/greasy Taco Bell-type enchiladas that many of us think is Mexican food.)

Huevos Rancheros -- or "Cowboy eggs" as I endearingly like to call them -- is a TexMex style dish, kind of like a deconstructed breakfast taco (a Texas staple -- seriously, if you are ever in Houston, visit Soliz Casa de Tacos across the street from my old high school.) The flavors blend together so beautifully, Taco Bell will never again cross your mind. Not to mention, this is so easy to make a boyfriend can do it (no offense to the guys; see picture below.) All in all, this dish is perfect for a weekend breakfast at home complete with a cup of hot coffee in your favorite mug (think of me and sprinkle in some cinnamon to make it Mexican.)

Servings: Two

What you'll need:

• 1 whole egg
• 6 egg whites (you can crack the eggs and remove the yolks yourself, or you can use the liquid egg whites that come in a carton in the dairy aisle -- your choice)
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh cherry tomatoes (I used around 12 and cut them into small pieces -- you can always substitute for salsa if you have any lying around)
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 an avocado, cut into cubes
• 1/2 an onion, diced into small pieces
• Cooking spray/frying pan/sauce pan/stove
• OPTIONAL: fajita seasoning (not necessary to make this taste great, but if you have it, use it!)
• OPTIONAL: a couple spinach leaves
• OPTIONAL: any seafood leftovers you have in your fridge (I put some scallops and shrimp to good use here.)

Step-by-Step:

1. Heat small saucepan on low heat; pour in black beans.
2. While black beans are heating up, mix eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, and onion (optional: fajita seasoning) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a small frying pan on medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the egg mixture (Optional step: if you have any cooked seafood, or even leftover chicken, add this to the pan first and let it sizzle for about 2 min before adding the eggs right on top.)
4. After the egg mixture starts to cook (30 seconds at most,) start to stir with a spatula. The eggs should be half-runny (raw eggs) and half-clumpy (cooked eggs.) Let cook a little longer, then stir again. Repeat until there is no more raw egg moving around in the pan (about 4-5 min total.) Remove the egg mixture and set aside.
5. To serve, spoon half of the black beans neatly in the center of the plate. On top, place half of the egg mixture, following with some avocado chunks and tomatoes. If you have any onion pieces left on your counter, sprinkle them on too. If you have some spinach, slice the leaves into small strips and gently place on top of your haystack (get it? cowboy? no? ok fine.)

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By the way, I'm coming back to Houston for Thanksgiving this year -- Soliz, I'm coming for ya! Do y'all do call-in's two months in advance? I'll take two Darlene's, please -- you know what to do.

xoxo n

Hold on a minute...

Did you know that two whole eggs has about 140 calories, while three egg whites (the clear part of a raw egg) has about 50 calories? Egg whites have less cholesterol, calories, and fat than whole eggs, but in substituting, you miss pretty much 0 flavor. Last time I checked, none of us know what just an egg yolk tastes like versus the rest of the egg. Everything tastes like, well, an egg! There are some things that an egg yolk is good for, and those things are iron, vitamins B12 and D for starters. So for this recipe, I left in one egg yolk and subbed the rest for whites. Great way to have the best of both worlds (and saving your calories for better things -- like chocolate.)

Source: fitsugar