The Tortilla’s Comeback

Is there anything as pathetic as old, stale leftover corn tortillas languishing in the back of your fridge? Well, there are lots of things, but at least week-old tortillas can come back to life as a fabulous Sunday brunch.

Chilaquiles and Huevos Rancheros are two of my all-time favorite brunch dishes. Some people mix the egg right into the sauce when making chilaquiles, but I’m a fried-egg-on-top sorta gal.

Ahh, I love the smell of Mexican food in the morning.

Chilaquiles

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 to 2 chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce

8 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Water or chicken broth

Salt, pepper

6 stale (at least 3 days old) corn tortillas

8 eggs

1 cup crumbled Cotija or Queso Fresco cheese

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

* Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chipotles (you can certainly add more than just 1 or 2 if you like lots of heat) and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are softened and rather mushy, 10 minutes. You may need to add a little water or chicken broth at this point so everything will puree smoothly.

* Puree in blender until smooth. Return to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm over low heat.

* Heat about 1 inch oil over medium high heat. While oil heats, cut tortillas into 3/4-inch strips. Drop strips into hot oil a handful at a time and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

* Take about 1 teaspoon leftover hot oil and spoon it into 8-inch skillet. Fry eggs, 2 at a time, until desired doneness. Keep finished eggs warm until all have been fried.

* To assemble, divide tortilla strips among 4 plates. Top strips with sauce, then with 2 eggs each. Top with cheese and cilantro.

4 servings. Each serving: 488 calories; 638 mg sodium; 440 mg cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 2.56 grams fiber.