So, if you read my blog, you know that a savory breakfast of mine will include some combination of eggs, beans, corn, salsa, cheese, and veggies. To me it’s like peanut butter and bananas, chocolate and coffee, toast and jam – it just goes together, no matter how you dish it up.
I’ve never “officially” made huevos rancheros, but with all the polenta existing in my kitchen as of late, the idea came to me to fry up some ranchero-ed huevos and serve them atop of fried polenta cakes in place of the traditional corn tortillas. Ohh how creative I am.. ;]
And well… it turned out great! The polenta was crispy on the outside, soft and grainy on the inside, and melted in perfectly with the rest of the ingredients just the way I like it.
I made this for myself, so the recipe is for 1 generous portion, but it’s an easy one to adapt for more people.
Huevos rancheros over polenta, by me :]
- leftover polenta, spread about ½” thick in a pan/baking dish and chilled (see my basic polenta recipe here)
- dash of chili powder
- 2 T red onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup black beans (I highly recommend Trader Joe’s Cuban-style black beans!)
- ½ cup salsa fresca or pico de gallo (I use Trader Joe’s mild fresh salsa)
- 1 or 2 eggs
- feta, cotija, or cheddar cheese to garnish
- chopped cilantro to garnish
Cut chilled polenta into 2 squares or rectangles, sprinkle with chili powder and fry in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat, until crisped and golden on both sides.
Meanwhile, lightly oil another skillet and heat over medium. Add chopped onion and garlic, sauté until softened and then add black beans and ¼ cup of the salsa. Stir and let cook until mixture thickens a bit. Fry or scramble the eggs to your liking. Top the polenta cakes with bean mixture, eggs, and garnish with the rest of the salsa, cheese, chopped cilantro, and a dash of Texas Pete!
This would also be good with some sautéed greens and/or other veggies thrown in the mix, but somehow I forgot (…what?! I never forget my veggies!)
This is one. delicious. mess.
–mich