Refried Bean Sauce with Eggs on Top

REFRIED BEAN SAUCE with
EGGS ON TOP

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 corn tortillas, cut in strips

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 poblano pepper or 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 15 ounces canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (see TIPS)
• 16 ounces canned tomato sauce

• 6 eggs
• 3 ounces grated cheese, ‘Chihuahua’ or 'cotija' cheese if available, otherwise ‘three-cheese Mexican’, cheddar, American or another good melting cheese
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until shimmery, fry the tortilla strips until crispy, set aside.

In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil til shimmery, add the onion and peppers as prepped and cook until just soft. Set aside, keep warm.

Meanwhile, purée the beans and tomato sauce in a blender until smooth. (Be sure to rinse the blender, this stuff dries like adobe!) Transfer to the skillet and cook on medium high, stirring often, until thick but don’t let turn into a gummy paste (see TIPS). If making in advance, stop here and refrigerate separately; rewarm the bean-tomato mixture before proceeding.

Stir in the tortillas and onion/pepper mixture. (At this stage, two skillets may be needed for there to be enough room for all six eggs. If so, transfer half the mixture to a second skillet.) With a spoon, create six ‘cradles’ in the mixture, sprinkle the top with cheese, then drop an egg into each depression. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. Sprinkle with cilantro, serve with additional corn tortillas and savor!

Adapted from The Art of Mexican Cooking, the 500-page tome of ‘traditional Mexican cooking for afficianados’ where cookbook author Diana Kennedy never once mentions nachos and dispenses with both quesadillas and chalupas in three pages. (Please note: Product Disclosure)