First off, I’d like to give a big thank you to the sweet ladies who left comments on my post last week, and to all of my readers for hanging in there during my absence! I’m so happy to finally be able to bring you another recipe. I don’t know about you all, but I sure had a crazy, busy week, and I am looking forward to a relaxing long weekend. I hope everyone’s got some fun plans for Labor Day, too.

If you find yourself in the mood to cook a hearty, savory breakfast this weekend, huevos rancheros are a great way to go. Nutritious and filling, they don’t have to be over-the-top and greasy — my version eschews cheese and sour cream, with plenty of richness from lovely, runny egg yolks and a few slices of buttery avocado. The ranchero sauce is nice and thick, with a generous amount of cilantro added at the end for a bright, herbal kick. I thoroughly enjoyed my plate of huevos rancheros. It was healthy and filling, without too much added salt and fat, so it was right up my alley. Since I only made huevos for two, I used the leftover sauce for a couple of lunches during the week, filling the leftover tortillas with beans and chicken, then topping them with ranchero sauce and a bit of feta cheese for some instant enchiladas. The recipe will serve four, however, so there is plenty of sauce to go around if you’ve got a bigger group to feed.

I made my corn tortillas from scratch, but store-bought ones are an excellent option, too. If you want to go the distance and make your own, here’s a great tutorial.

Huevos Rancheros

serves 4

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 (7oz) can diced green chiles
1 C. Pomi strained tomatoes
1 C. chicken stock (low or no sodium)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 C. (1/2 a large bunch) cilantro leaves, chopped

8 large eggs
olive oil spray

8 corn tortillas, warmed before serving
1 can black beans, warmed before serving
1 avocado, sliced thinly

1. In a medium (10″) high-sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame.

2. Add the garlic to the skillet. When it begins to bubble and has not yet browned, add the onion and jalapenos. Saute about 10 minutes, until onions begin to brown slightly.

3. Add the canned diced chiles, strained tomatoes, chicken stock, cumin, and salt. Bring up to a boil, turn down to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in cilantro, then turn off the heat and set aside.

5. In a separate non-stick skillet sprayed lightly with olive oil, fry the eggs to your desired level of doneness.

6. Serve two eggs and two tortillas per person, topping them with black beans, ranchero sauce, and sliced avocado.