Mexican Breakfast

You may notice a few more Mexican recipes finding their way onto this blog in the coming days. That’s because I was supposed to go on holiday to Cancun this summer before the world imploded due to Covid. In an attempt to cushion the blow, I thought it would be quirky to have a complete week dedicated to Mexican food. Well, it seemed a good idea at the time….

Kicking the week off was Mexican Breakfast from Justine Pattison. I’m not entirely sure what makes this ‘Mexican’, surely it needs more than the introduction of a tortilla wrap (which I didn’t bother with)? But anyway, for less than £1 per portion this was a decent brunch fix, although not as authentic as all-day Mexican breakfast from Jamie Oliver, which in truth I didn’t enjoy as much.

If you like the concept of cooking eggs in a pan, then personally menemen (a Turkish recipe) from the Hairy Dieters gets my vote all-day long.

Recipe: Mexican Breakfast

Calories: 304 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: Justine Pattison: Without the Calories – Quick and Easy

Prep time: Approx 5 mins

Cooking time: Approx 15 mins

Ingredients:

• Oil for spraying or brushing
• 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 yellow pepper (deseeded)
• ½ – 1 tsp hot smoked paprika, depending on taste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs
• 400g can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 15g fresh coriander leaves roughly chopped (plus extra to garnish)
• 4 very fresh fridge-cold eggs
• 40g ready-grated mozzarella or half-fat Cheddar (optional)
• 4 mini flour tortilla wraps (each about 30g)
• Ground black pepper
• Lime wedges, to serve

Cost per portion: Approx £0.96

Method:

Spray or brush a large non-stick frying pan with oil. Add the onion and pepper and fry gently for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the paprika and cook for a few seconds more. Tip the tomatoes and kidney beans into the pan and add the tomato puree. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick. Stir in the coriander.

Make a hole in the tomato mixture and break an egg into it. Repeat with the other eggs. Season the eggs with black pepper, cover the pan with a lid or large piece of foil and cook for 4-5 minutes until the egg whites have set and the yolks are hot but runny. If adding the cheese, sprinkle it over the eggs after the first couple of minutes so it has time to melt. Scatter more coriander over the top if you like.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in the microwave or a moderate oven according to the packet instructions. Take the eggs and beans to the table and serve with the warm tortillas and lime wedges for squeezing.