Tyler Anderson/National Post
Nachos for breakfast? Perish the thought! These are breakfast chilaquiles with scrambled eggs, and they will blow your mind.
Genuine corn tortillas may be hard
to find but tortilla chips are everywhere. More than just a snack food,
they can replace croutons for crunch in salads or soups, they can be
soaked in sauce and used in lasagna-type dishes and they can be crushed
and used as a gluten-free thickener. And of course, they are an
addictive crispy snack perfect for dipping into guacamole or salsa. (To
bake your own tortilla chips, stack six corn tortillas — available at
Mexican markets and some specialty stores — and brush each with olive
oil as you stack them. Cut stack into 8 wedges and spread in a single
layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes or
until crisp.)
Rick Bayless’ Xoco Cafe in Chicago features street food all day. At breakfast there recently I fell in love with chilaquiles — a kind of casserole that is easy to make and great for brunch.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin or 1 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp chipotle chile puree, chipotle Tabasco or other hot sauce
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (canned or peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 oz tortilla chips (about 4 cups)
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp butter, divided in half
- 2 cups grated mild cheddar
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced into rounds
1. Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook gently until tender. Add cumin and chipotle and cook another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil. Cook 10 minutes until tomatoes are a bit thicker, add tortilla chips and combine with sauce until slightly softened. Taste and add salt if necessary.
2. Spread saucy tortilla over bottom of a 2L buttered shallow baking dish.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl with salt. Heat half the butter in a 9” or 10” nonstick skillet and add eggs. Cook very gently, stirring, until soft curds form. Stir in remaining butter. When eggs are just set spoon over tortillas.
4. Sprinkle eggs with cheese and arrange jalapeno rounds on top. Serve immediately or just before serving heat in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings
TORTILLA SOUP WITH LIME AND CILANTRO
This delicious flavourful soup can be served as an appetizer or main course.
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin, preferably roasted and ground
- ½ tsp chipotle chile puree or chipotle Tabasco
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lime juice or more to taste
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks
- 1 cup corn niblets (raw or frozen)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste<
- 1 cup tortilla chips (about 1oz)
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook, without browning until tender. Stir in cumin and chipotle. Cook about 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Add lime juice, tomatoes, chicken, corn and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until heated thoroughly.
3. Add cilantro and salt to taste. Remove from heat. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese on top. Makes 6 servings
Rick Bayless’ Xoco Cafe in Chicago features street food all day. At breakfast there recently I fell in love with chilaquiles — a kind of casserole that is easy to make and great for brunch.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin or 1 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp chipotle chile puree, chipotle Tabasco or other hot sauce
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (canned or peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 oz tortilla chips (about 4 cups)
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp butter, divided in half
- 2 cups grated mild cheddar
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced into rounds
1. Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook gently until tender. Add cumin and chipotle and cook another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil. Cook 10 minutes until tomatoes are a bit thicker, add tortilla chips and combine with sauce until slightly softened. Taste and add salt if necessary.
2. Spread saucy tortilla over bottom of a 2L buttered shallow baking dish.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl with salt. Heat half the butter in a 9” or 10” nonstick skillet and add eggs. Cook very gently, stirring, until soft curds form. Stir in remaining butter. When eggs are just set spoon over tortillas.
4. Sprinkle eggs with cheese and arrange jalapeno rounds on top. Serve immediately or just before serving heat in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings
TORTILLA SOUP WITH LIME AND CILANTRO
This delicious flavourful soup can be served as an appetizer or main course.
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin, preferably roasted and ground
- ½ tsp chipotle chile puree or chipotle Tabasco
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lime juice or more to taste
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks
- 1 cup corn niblets (raw or frozen)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste<
- 1 cup tortilla chips (about 1oz)
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook, without browning until tender. Stir in cumin and chipotle. Cook about 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Add lime juice, tomatoes, chicken, corn and cook another 5 to 10 minutes until heated thoroughly.
3. Add cilantro and salt to taste. Remove from heat. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese on top. Makes 6 servings
