Breakfast Cure

I love the food blog In The Kitchn. Their recipes are spot-on and fit a busy lifestyle. The following Bean Chilaquiles with Avocado & Queso Fresco is a great example of how ease of preparation does not necessarily sacrifice great flavor and it now has top billing on my regular breakfast rotation. At first glance the recipe looks like a jumble of leftover taco ingredients, but I promise the resulting dish is anything but...This is for you KT xoxo. Enjoy!

Bean Chilaquiles with Avocado & Queso Fresco

Serves 1, but can easily be expanded for any number of people

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 small corn tortillas, cut into triangles
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup pinto beans, black beans, or other leftover beans
1 large egg
1/4 avocado, cut into slices 
2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco (or substitute your favorite cheese) I used feta cheese.
Hot sauce, optional
Roughly chopped cilantro
Pour the oil into a cast iron or stainless steel skillet and warm over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add tortilla triangles and fry, stirring and flipping constantly, until browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour the salsa over the tortillas, and cook, stirring, until the tortillas soak up most of the salsa, about 1 minute. Add the beans and stir to heat.
Push the chilaquiles to one side of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Crack the egg toward the middle of the pan. Partially cover the pan and cook until the egg whites are set and the yolk is as done as you like it. Alternatively, whisk the egg in a bowl before adding it to the pan and make scrambled eggs instead.
Use a thin spatula to carefully scoop the fried egg and the chilaquiles onto a plate. Garnish with the avocado slices, queso fresco, hot sauce, and cilantro. Eat immediately.

Recipe Notes:

• Chilaquiles are a great way to use up any little leftover bits in your fridge, like shredded chicken or pork, crumbled bacon, roasted vegetables, and tofu.
Recipe originally published August 2006