Huevos Rancheros Verdes
Huevos rancheros or “ranch eggs” is a classic Mexican dish that is great for a quick dinner. Traditionally, it’s made with a red tomato-based sauce. Here we use tart and tangy green salsa instead. Serve with: brown rice and slices of avocado.
1 1/2 cups very thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 scallion, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 cup prepared green salsa (see Tip)
8 6-inch corn tortillas
Canola oil cooking spray
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
4 large eggs
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine lettuce, scallion, cilantro, 1 teaspoon oil, lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; set aside. Combine beans and salsa in another bowl.
3. Coat both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet in 4 sets of overlapping pairs. (Each pair should overlap by about 3 inches.) Spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on top of each pair of tortillas and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cheese each. Bake until the beans are hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the pan, taking care not to break the yolks. Season the eggs with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes for soft-set yolks. (For hard-set yolks, cover the pan after 5 minutes and continue cooking until the yolks are cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more.)
5. To assemble, place an egg on top of each pair of tortillas and top with a generous 1/4 cup of the lettuce mixture.
Tip: Green salsa (sometimes labeled salsa verde or tomatillo salsa) is made with tomatillos, green chiles and onions. Look for it near other prepared salsa in large supermarkets.
Per serving: 396 calories; 18 g fat (6 g sat, 5 g mono); 234 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 8 g fiber; 563 mg sodium; 474 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (30% daily value), Folate (29% dv), Iron (20% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat, 1 fat