Juevos Mexicano

I was in HEAVEN last night with this dish!

#1 I love breakfast for dinner, so eggs were exactly what I needed.

#2 FLAVOR!

#3 And it wasn't even too spicy for me. Perfecto!

Anyone who knows me has seen me eat "Mexican" food before. I'm that girl who mixes EVERYTHING together ... the most common comment I hear is, "OMG! It looks like baby poop!" after I finish getting all the flavors combined. BUT I do it so I have the combo of the flavors all mashed up in my mouth and exploding my taste buds at one time! As a flavor bonus last night, I added diced mango and avocado into the mix and created that perfect blend of spicy and sweet. SERIOUSLY in love with this dish!

I adapted the recipe from Closet Cooking with a couple of differences. I didn't have chipotle chili powder so I used my regular Southwest Chipotle Seasoning mix I have on hand. Also, I baked the eggs at the end like they did ... but it took more like 25 minutes for them to be done instead of 5-8. *SADNESS* Dave didn't like the egg results even after baking so he pouched his and added them, so that is the method I'm going to suggest in the recipe because it takes LESS TIME and the result is about the same. Also added in corn for a carb (you could do rice if you wanted) and a little less jalapeño which made it perfect spiciness for me. Never be afraid to add more veggies! In fact, I added spinach to get more "green" into the dish and you couldn't even notice a taste difference.

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Juevos Mexicano

1 tbsp. EVOO
1 small red onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 10-oz. cans diced tomatoes (with green chilies) or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 12-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen corn
1 tsp. oregano

1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 handful fresh baby spinach

2 eggs per person

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic, cumin, chipotle, and jalapeño and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, black beans, oregano and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. At the end, throw in cilantro and spinach and warm until wilted.

Pouch your eggs or pan fry sunnyside up (all you need is a squirt of cooking spray to keep them from sticking to the pan). Two eggs per person should be enough protein along with the beans in the sauce for a meal.

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Again: I paired my awesomeness with mango and avocado for extra flavor and fell in love! I'm a huge yolk person so this is a perfect meal for me.

Challenge-Friendly: YES.

Talapia and Mango Salad

I have a special love for raw, cold salads that include fruit and citrus based dressings. There's something about it that make me feel like I might be able sit outside and survive the dry summer if I shovel it into my mouth. But then again, probably not! I'll sit inside and enjoy it in the comfort of my AC, please.

This is a great combo that not only fills you up but helps you feel like you ate light and cool after a hot day in the sun.

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Simple Fish Marinade

2 full Talapia filets
1/4 cup EVOO
1 lime (cut and squeeze juice)
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. basil
1 tbsp. rosemary
1 tbsp. agave (optional)

Combine everything in a baggie or pan and let marinade for 1-24+ hours.

Warm frying pan on medium/high heat with a touch of EVOO and place filets in pan to cook. About 5-6 minutes each side. You want the filets to flake when they are done.

Cold Mango Salad

1 cucumber (skin on or off is your choice)
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 orange pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 mango or 1 cup mango (frozen)
1/2 cup red onion
1 cup red cabbage (thinly sliced and diced - OPTIONAL)

1 lime (cut and squeeze juice)
1/8 cup EVOO
1/8 cup white vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. dill
1 tbsp. rosemary
1 tbsp. basil

Dice all the veggies and mango up and place in a sealable bowl with the marinade mixture above. Toss with lid on and let set in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let the juice and vinegar do its work flavoring the salad. Serve cold with fish.

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Some things to remember: when I cook I use approximate measurements. I'm really bad about pulling out my cups an spoons and generally eyeball based on how I know what I'm adding is going flavor a dish. So feel free to add or subtract to your taste. Generally, I'm actually not using as much EVOO as I think which is a good thing!

The red cabbage in the salad is a great way to bulk it up and keep it light with some crunch. I LOVE red cabbage after it's been soaking in a vinegar mix mmmmmmmm