There are days when I don’t feel like cooking. When my alarm goes off, I stick my head out, scent the air, and want to crawl back under my covers with a good book I haven’t had time to read. Yesterday was one of those days. Stupid head cold. One kid home from school sick, and me feeling more than a little on the crappy side myself. Ugh. But people still want to eat. Kids tend to complain if you don’t feed them. And rightly so. So I reached into my bag of tricks for a meal I could make in about five minutes that didn’t require a trip to the store. I had eggs. I had the double batch of salsa I made the other day. I had tortillas. You can see where I’m going with this. Huevos Rancheros. Spanish for eggs on a ranch? I live in a ranch style house. Close enough. And spicy enough to maybe clear my sinuses. Yay!
There are many different versions of this dish – some fancy, some down & dirty. This is a quick, simple version that I make often, even when I have more time and energy. It’s fast, it’s delicious, and you only make one pan dirty. I had dinner on the table and was back to being curled up in my big yellow chair in no time flat.
Huevos Rancheros with Roasted Potatoes & Pineapple
Huevos Rancheros
2 cups salsa (you can use homemade or store bought, whatever you like) – Click here for my salsa recipe
1-2 eggs per person (I did 6 in one pan, breaking 2 into each well)
tortillas
shredded jack or cheddar cheese
Add salsa to large skillet and heat to boiling. Make wells in the salsa and break eggs gently into each. Reduce heat to low and cover. Poach eggs for 3 minutes. Remove from heat & sprinkle with cheese. Meanwhile, warm tortillas in oven. Scoop eggs, with some of the surrounding salsa, onto the warm tortillas and serve. I served these with roasted potatoes (see below for recipe) and fresh pineapple slices.
The eggs poach right in the salsa
Garlic-Cumin Roasted Potatoes
1 pound new potatoes or red potatoes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic paste (or minced garlic)
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Mix cumin, garlic, salt & pepper, and olive oil. Toss potatoes in the mixture and spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400˚ for about 20 minutes, stirring once partway through.
3hungrymonkeys 