Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

I’ve lost track of how many versions of huevos rancheros I’ve posted, but I just don’t think you can have too many options and I never seem to make it the same way twice.  This version used leftover pork roast (will it ever run out?) and eggs cooked over easy.  Very simple and oh, so delicious!

The packages of tostadas I’ve been buying have 36 tostadas in them.  I don’t know how many of these things you eat in a sitting, but I’ve had to get pretty creative with tostadas for breakfast, lunch and dinner in order to use them all before they go stale.  Not that I’m complaining.  I like tostadas.  But still, don’t hate me for the flood of tostada recipes.  I’m working with what I’ve got!

Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

Shredded Pork Huevos Tostada

Tostada shell or tortilla (1-2 per person)
Pork roast (about 1/2 cup per tostada – see below for basic pork roast recipe)
1-2 eggs per person
Cheddar cheese
Sliced Avocado
Salsa

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Break one or two eggs into the pan.  Add some pork roast on the side.  If you are cooking these for more than one person, you can do these in two separate pans, with the eggs cooking in one and the pork heating up in the other (or heat the pork in the microwave if you prefer).

I just cook everything in the same pan, but you can do them separately if you want.

Cook eggs a couple of minutes until nearly set and then flip and cook briefly on the other side until it’s done to your liking.  Build your tostada starting with pork.  Follow with eggs, a sprinkle of cheese, avocado and salsa.

Basic Pork Roast

Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
1 onion, sliced or diced
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz. can diced green chiles
Salt & pepper

Rinse pork roast and place fat side up in a dutch oven.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper, top with onion, chopped garlic and green chiles.  Put a lid on and roast at 350˚ for 3-4 hours, until tender and falling apart.  Pull apart with two forks to shred.

Alternatively you can do this in the crock pot (mine was too big this time, so I did it in the oven instead).  When I cook it in the crock pot, I turn it on high for the first hour, then down to low to cook the rest of the day.

Ready to pop into the oven or crock pot.

Shredded Pork Tostada “Salad”

Another entry in my “what to do with that giant pork roast” series, these started out as tostadas but I piled so many veggies on top that it ended up being more of a salad in my opinion.  Whatever it was, it was delicious.  Feel free to sub veggies you like for those you don’t.  Instead of salad dressing, we just used a liberal drizzle of salsa over the whole thing.  Wonderful.  And pretty too!

Shredded Pork Tostada “Salad”

Shredded Pork Tostada “Salad”

Crunchy tostadas (I used 2 per person)
1-2 cups shredded pork (see below for the basic pork roast recipe)
Cheddar cheese
Mixed salad greens
Tomatoes, diced
Avocado, sliced or diced
Black olives, sliced
Salsa

If your pork roast is not hot, heat it up in the microwave or toss in a skillet for a few minutes to heat.  Since I typically use leftovers to make these that is what I did.

Top with cheese and pile on the other toppings to suit your tastes.  Drizzle salsa over the whole thing and eat!

Basic Pork Roast

Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
1 onion, sliced or diced
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz. can diced green chiles
Salt & pepper

Rinse pork roast and place fat side up in a dutch oven.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper, top with onion, chopped garlic and green chiles.  Put a lid on and roast at 350˚ for 3-4 hours, until tender and falling apart.  Pull apart with two forks to shred.

Alternatively you can do this in the crock pot (mine was too big this time, so I did it in the oven instead).  When I cook it in the crock pot, I turn it on high for the first hour, then down to low to cook the rest of the day.

Ready to pop into the oven or crock pot.

Chili Huevos Tostada

It occurred to me this morning that I didn’t post anything all week.  I have no good excuse, other than I mostly made things I have made before.  Sometimes you just have to revisit old favorites.  Speaking of old favorites, I recently made a batch of chili and had some left over.  Not feeling like eating chili for breakfast, I invented yet another version of Huevos Rancheros.  And now I may start having to make extra chili every time so I can make this more often.

Chili Huevos Tostada

Tostada shells
Chili (you can use your own recipe or find mine here.  I used about 1/4 cup per tostada)
Cheddar cheese
Eggs (one for each tostada)
Salsa (optional)
Shredded lettuce (optional)

Heat chili.  Heat a small skillet on the stove.  Beat eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Drizzle just a bit of olive oil in the pan.  Scramble eggs.  Build your tostada.  Ladle on a generous spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of chili, top with cheese, then add eggs.  Top with salsa and lettuce if desired.

Huevos Rancheros Cups

I love Huevos Rancheros but I’m not always in the mood to make (or eat) a big huge breakfast.  And let’s face it, it’s probably not the greatest thing for my waistline either.  But healthy diet or not, there is no way I’m giving up Mexican food.  So…I made this stripped down version for a quick and healthy breakfast.  It’s not as elaborate as most huevos rancheros dishes but it is definitely delicious and it’s the perfect size portion for eating healthy too.

I usually keep a batch of salsa in my fridge for things just like this.  I occasionally buy a jar when I’m feeling lazy.  The other day I looked in my fridge and found a jar in there that had to be at least six months old.  It was still fine.  How is this possible?  Makes me wonder what goes in it that keeps it from going bad.  In any case, I prefer to make my own.  If you want to as well you can find my salsa recipe here. It will keep in the fridge for several weeks, if it lasts that long.

Huevos Rancheros Cups

Huevos Rancheros Cups

For each ramekin:

1 corn tortilla
2-3 tbsp. salsa
2 eggs
1-2 tsp shredded jack or cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚.  Spray ramekin with cooking spray or rub with a bit of oil.  Slice tortilla into strips and fan out in the bottom of the ramekin and up the sides.

Top tortilla strips with a scoop of salsa.

Break eggs on top of salsa.  Top with a sprinkle of cheese.

Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Jiggle to make sure eggs are set (if not leave in for a couple more minutes).  Remove carefully and eat!

 

One Pork Roast, 3 Dinners. Day 2: Shredded Pork & Black Bean Tacos

For my second installment of the Pork Roast saga, I give you tacos.  Now yes, you can make tacos out of just about anything, but boy were these yummy.  Pulled pork is not something I usually have lying around, so it was a treat.  And these particular tacos had the added benefit of using pretty much all ingredients in my cupboards so I didn’t have to go to the store.

If you missed chapter one of my pork roast week, click here to see directions for the basic pork recipe and BBQ pork sandwiches.  Or skip ahead to part 3 for Shepherd’s Pie.

Shredded Pork and Black Bean Tacos

2 cups (approx.) Basic Pulled Pork
1 can diced green chiles
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Flour or corn tortillas
Lettuce, cheese or other taco toppings (optional)

In a skillet on medium heat, add pulled pork, green chiles, black beans and seasonings.  Stir and cook until well combined and heated through.  Warm tortillas in the oven, pile filling in the tortilla, top with lettuce or whatever else you like on your taco and eat!

Black Bean Enchilada Stacks

What to make for the birthday dinner for one of my dearest friends of all time?  Well…Mexican food of course.  And something vegetarian for this particular friend. She was literally doing a happy dance in her chair while she was eating these enchiladas.

I first saw enchilada stacks in New Mexico, when I had huevos rancheros served this way in a little cafe outside of Taos.  I fell in love with these little towers of tastiness.  They are so much easier to make than rolled enchiladas but you still have individual servings which is a nice touch.  For me the highlight of this recipe is the amazing verde sauce.  It’s incredibly easy to make and so much better than anything you will find in a can.  Next time I’m making a double batch so I can use it on about a dozen other things.

Black Bean Enchilada Stacks with Homemade Verde Sauce.  Yum!

Black Bean Enchilada Stacks

Verde Sauce:
12 oz. tomatillos (7-8 large)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped roasted green chiles (canned works fine)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped

Filling:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green chiles (canned is just fine)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup sour cream
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt & pepper

Other Ingredients:
16 corn tortillas (for 4 stacks, add more tortillas for more stacks)
2 cups shredded jack/cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper

Make the sauce first. Remove husks and stems from tomatillos and wash.  Add tomatillos to a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until tender.  Drain. Put tomatillos and other sauce ingredients in a blender and puree.  Set aside.

In a bowl mix black beans and other filling ingredients.  In a large casserole dish or jelly roll pan (use 2 pans if needed), spread 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Create 4-6 enchilada stacks (I made five), starting with a tortilla, then 1/3 of bean mixture, cheese, then tortilla, then 1/3 bean mixture, cheese, then tortilla, then 1/3 bean mixture, cheese, ending with a tortilla. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the stacks.  Cover with the remaining shredded cheese.  Garnish each stack with feta and peppers.

All stacked up and ready to go in the oven.

Bake at 375˚ for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are starting to brown on the edges.  Serve entire stack on a plate with extra sauce from the bottom of the pan spooned over the top.  For lighter appetites, you may want to cut these in half, but we didn’t have any problem polishing off a whole stack each!  This recipe will make 4-6 stacks.

Tortilla Frittata

Breakfast, lunch or dinner, one of my favorite things to make is a frittata, and not just because it’s fun to say.  It’s also the best way to use up leftovers in my opinion.  I put pretty much anything and everything in these.  This is a combo I make a lot, mostly because I usually have these ingredients laying around. And because it’s delicious.  For a vegetarian version, just leave out the bacon.

Tortilla Frittata

Tortilla Frittata

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
5 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
5 eggs
Salt & pepper
1/3 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
Salsa
5 slices bacon

In a bowl, beat eggs with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Cook bacon in 10 inch skillet, drain on paper towels and set aside.  Set aside.  Pour out bacon grease, wipe out excess and use the same pan to saute onion and peppers for a few minutes over medium heat, until tender.  Crumble bacon into pan.  Add tortilla strips and toss with veggies and bacon.  Pour in egg mixture.  Swirl around in pan to cover veggies and tortillas.  Top with cheese and dollops of salsa.  Turn down heat to medium low and cover pan.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until eggs are set on top.  Slide out onto a cutting board and slice into wedges. Serves 3-4.

Is it a pizza?  No!  It’s a frittata.  It’s awesome.  You should eat one.

Green Chile Chicken & Green Rice

I had someone ask me recently if I had any good slow cooker recipes.  And that reminded me – oh yeah! – I have one of those!  I decided to dust it off and take it for a long overdue spin.  So…this morning I took a look at the supplies I had and threw something in the magic pot to see what it would make me for dinner.  I have to say…the magic pot treated us very well.  Frozen chicken breasts and a couple other things transformed into a savory, spicy concoction over the course of a few hours.

Now you could serve this over regular rice, or just wrap it in a tortilla.  I decided to ramp it up and make some “green rice” to go with it.  I have to say, that stuff was so good I could eat it all by itself.  But why do that when you have some yummy chicken with which to smother it?  Sprinkle on some diced red pepper or tomatoes for a little touch of color, and dig in!

Green Chile Chicken & Rice

Green Chile Chicken

3 chicken breasts
2 cans of diced green chiles
1 onion, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook 4-6 hours.  Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into shreds.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Green Chile Chicken, all ready to eat.

Green Rice.  Well, it’s sort of green.  And definitely delicious!

Green Rice

2 tbsp. oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/4 cup rice, uncooked
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tbsp. lime juice
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 tsp. salt

In a blender combine cilantro, lime juice, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and salt, and 1/4 cup water (or liquid from the green chile chicken).  Puree.  Heat oil in a medium-sized sauce pan.  Saute onion for a minute or two.  Add rice.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Add 2 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth and pureed cilantro mixture.  Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Roasted Chile Turkey Burgers

I love hamburgers.  But I also like variety, and I’m always looking for (or making up) healthy and interesting variations.  Turkey burgers are a great way to go for something different.  The problem I have with some turkey burgers is that the meat is so lean the burgers can get dry.  My solution?  Lots of veggies to add moisture, flavor and texture.

For these I was in the mood for a little southwestern flavor, so I made some modifications to my usual recipe and changed this one up a bit.  Don’t be alarmed if the mixture is a little looser than your normal burger mixture, they cook up quite nicely without a hitch.  Bun or no bun, they are pretty darn yummy!

Roasted Chile Turkey Burgers

Roasted Chile Turkey Burgers

1 egg
1/3 cup red onion, chopped finely
2/3 cup bread crumbs (I usually just crumble a slice of bread or bun)
1 pound ground turkey
4 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz. can of diced green chiles (or you can roast extra peppers and chop them up)
2 green onions, sliced
4-6 Anaheim peppers
Cotija cheese, crumbled

Put whole chiles on a cookie sheet under the broiler.  Broil on both sides until skin is blackened.  Remove from heat and put in a paper or plastic bag to cool and steam.

In a large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, red and green onions, egg, salt, pepper and cumin with a fork until well blended.  Add turkey, mushrooms, diced green chiles.  Mix well (I use my hands for this part) until everything is combined.  The mixture will be fairly wet and loose.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in large skillet or grill (do not use an open grill, the patties aren’t firm enough to sit on top without falling through) over medium high heat.  Form 6 large balls of mixture.  Flatten slightly and lay in the pan.  Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until patties are firm and cooked all the way through.

Peel peppers, remove stems and seeds and slice into thick strips.  Serve burgers with or without a bun, top with roasted peppers and cotija cheese.  Serves 6.

Fajita Burritos for Dinner and Breakfast!

I really wanted to make enchiladas.  But a hot day and three hungry tummies meant a quickie dinner was in order.  So with a bunch of veggies, a quick saute and some beautiful gift wrapping, a quick, delicious and healthy dinner was mere moments away.  Enchiladas can wait a few weeks.

You can chop up as many veggies as you want for this.  I always make more than I need, since leftovers can always be put to good use.  Scroll down to see where mine ended up!

Veggie Fajita Burrito

Veggie Fajita Burrito

3-4 poblano peppers, sliced
3-4 banana peppers, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of salt & pepper
Juice of 1/2 lime
Flour tortillas
Salsa
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Avocado, sliced

Slice up all the veggies.

Yummy veggies. Feel free to vary to your tastes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Add peppers, onion, mushrooms and garlic to the pan.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add corn and beans and continue to cook a couple of minutes, until veggies are slightly tender and everything is heated through.  I prefer my veggies to still have a little crunch, but if you like them softer just cook a little longer.  Season with salt & pepper and squeeze in lime juice.  Stir to combine.

Cook the veggies. I like them just slightly tender but still a little crispy. And check out my cool new spatula thing!

Pile the veggies in a burrito.  Crumble some cheese over the top.  If you want to be able to pick it up, don’t overfill it.  If  you’re anything like me, you’ll add way too much stuff for that.

Build the burrito and eat!

Roll it up, decorate the top with salsa, avocado and a little more cheese.  Dive in!

For breakfast the next day, reheat leftover veggies in a skillet, add some beaten eggs, and stir and turn mixture constantly until eggs are cooked.  Put in a tortilla with some salsa and cheese and voila!  Breakfast is served.

Fajita Breakfast Burrito