Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros, originally uploaded by Kim De.

If you are looking for a meal that is quick and easy, warm and comforting, and will impress, look no further. And if like me you like the occasional breakfast for dinner...

Convincing Bo that it's ok to have eggs for your last meal has been a slow process. But with meals like this one he is warming up to the idea. Eggs, cooked soft with a simmer of salsa, homemade tortillas and soft refritos (re-fried beans) are the perfect Mexican "home cooking" and make a great comfort meal.

This recipe came from MY expert in Mexican food, Rick Bayless. I pulled it from his first book, Authentic Mexican. You can see a jar of store bought salsa in the background - that isnt something you see much in my house. Homemade salsa is so easy to make it is almost a sin to purchase it. If you catch yourself with a busy day, however, please promise me you will buy a high quality salsa. it can make all the difference to your meal!

Enough talking. On to the recipe.

Ranch-Style Eggs with Tomato Chile Sauce (Rick Bayless)
Heuvos Rancheros

About 2 cups Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chile Sauce (recipe to follow) or high quality store bought salsa
4 medium thick corn tortillas, set out to become a bit stale
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 large eggs
Salt and Pepper
2 T crumbled Mexican queso fresco or cheese like feta or farmer's cheese
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Warm the sauce in a small saucepan over medium low heat, covered. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high. When quite hot, quick fry the tortillas one at a time 2-3 seconds per side, just to soften them. Drain on paper towels, wrap in foil and keep warm in a low oven. Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium low ans let it cook f or a few moments.

Break 4 eggs into the skillet and let them cook, slowly, sunnyside up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then transfer the eggs to a baking sheet and keep them warm with the tortillas. Fry the remaining eggs to the pan and cook in the same fashion.

Set a tortilla on each of 4 warm plates. Top with 2 fried eggs then spoon the sauce over the tortillas and whites of the eggs, leaving the yolks exposed. Last, sprinkle the cheese and chopped cilantro.

Quick Cooked Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, boiled or roasted; OR one 28 oz can good quality canned tomatoes, chopped
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3-5 serranos or 2-3 jalapenos), stemmed
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 T lard or vegetable oil
Salt

Roughly chop the tomato and place in a blender or food processor.

For a milder sauce, seed the chiles. Chop them to bits and add to the blender with the onion and garlic Process until pureed but retaining a little texture.

Heat the lard or oil in a medium large skillet over medium high. When it is hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle, add it all at once and stir consistently for about 5 minutes as the puree sears and cooks into a thicker more orange colored sauce. Season with salt and remove from the fire