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I mentioned last week that I was desperately missing Mexico, but this week, it’s gotten worse – I’m having full on withdrawals. Every five minutes I look over at Kevin and remind him that this time last year we were laying on the beach, or this time last year we drinking margaritas, or this time last year we were sitting on our balcony watching the sun set behind the Pacific – ahhh what a lovely mental picture… My skin is so pasty and white; I almost don’t even recognize myself. I know, I know, it’s human nature to hibernate in the winter and lose the tan glow that the summer sun bestows upon us, but I don’t like it — not one bit.
Never again am I withholding a beach vacation from myself in January. In my opinion, January is the worst of the worst of months. It’s the first month it’s officially FREEZING, it’s the first month that Kevin’s busy season starts at work, and it’s four whole months before we even feel a glimmer of warmth. But, fortunately or not fortunately for me – depending on the way you look at it—what I lack in Mexican sunshine and heat, I make up for in Mexican food, ten fold. Seriously.
If you need proof here it is:
I made these carnitas last week.
Last night I was craving quesadillas and margaritas, so Kev and I headed over to our local Mexican joint where we proceeded to individually consume an obscenely large fish bowl margarita and copious amounts of chips and guacamole.
This morning I was still craving something spicy, so I made today’s chilaquiles; AND later this week I have another Mexicanish post coming at you. I’m telling you, I can’t get enough.
These chilaquiles are everything I love about Mexican food and more, but are totally acceptable to eat in the morning. If you’re not familiar with this traditional Mexican breakfast dish, you’re not alone. It’s definitely not as well known as the enchilada and doesn’t get as much love as the burrito or taco, but if you have an affinity for crispy tortilla chips, gooey cheese, runny eggs, and a fiery kick; I think it’s safe to say you’ll fall in love with chiaquiles as I have.
Chilaquiles are kind of like omelets in that you can do whatever you want with them. At their simplest form they are just fried tortialla chips, tossed with red or green sauce, then smothered in cheese. Some people opt to add eggs, chicken or some other type of protein. I prefer them to be a little bit more on the hearty side, so I fried up some chorizo, tossed it with the tortillas and enchilada sauce, then cracked the eggs on top and baked the whole dish.
Since I’m trying to watch my waistline just a bit, I lightened the dish up by baking my tortilla chips instead of frying them, used a low-fat mozzarella, and used a scant portion of chorizo. While I wouldn’t call it a “health food” by any means, it’s still healthy enough to not hate yourself if you’ve consumed half the batch…not that I’d know or anything. 🙂
- 5 corn tortillas
- ½ tablespoon olive oil +plus a little more for cooking
- pinch of salt
- 1 link chorizo (4 ounces)
- ¼ onion, chopped
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought (see below for recipe)
- Enchilada Sauce:
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut tortillas in half and then slice into ½ inch strips. Coat in olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy and brown, tossing halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside. Cook chorizo and onion with a drizzle of olive oil in a cast iron or large non-stick skillet over a medium-high heat until chorizo is cooked through.
- Toss ½ cup of enchilada sauce with crispy tortillas and cooked chorizo in the same skillet.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the skillet, top with cheese, and then make four little pockets for the eggs to go in.
- Crack eggs in pockets and place whole skillet in the oven. Cook until egg whites are cooked through, but yolks are still runny, about 10-15 minutes. Serve right away.
- For enchilada sauce: Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about 2 cups sauce.
Amy says
The link to the sauce is redirecting to the wrong recipe 🙂
Nicole says
Sorry! Will update!
R says
8 years on and sauce recipe link still sending people to incorrect web page