Making It Up As I Go: Huevos Rancheros

Two things brought about this huevos rancheros meal on weeknight (yes, night!):

1. Missing the wonderful food and flavors we had in Mexico.


2. The need to use up a random assortment of food in the fridge and pantry.

So with tortillas, eggs, salsa and a mix of beans, onions and peppers plus some chickpeas, we made up this version of huevos rancheros.

It was so simple to make, delicious and, fairly, healthy (the huge tortillas and cheese were probably the worst parts). Here's what we did and used:

• 2 large flour tortillas


• 4 eggs


• 1/2 jar salsa


• a leftover, already cooked mixture of pinto beans with jalapeno bits, bell pepper and onion, seasoned with garlic powder, chili powder, etc.


• about 1/2 cup corn


• about 1/2 cup leftover chickpeas


• about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat bean and veggie mix with salsa and corn. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

Make four eggs over easy (so the eggs are set but the yolks are still runny).

Pop the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds on medium heat.

Place the tortillas on a plate and layer with bean and veggie mix. Top shredded cheese and then the eggs. Top with hot sauce.

This meal was so easy and delicious--but it was way too filling with all those beans, eggs and the huge tortilla! I think next time I would cut back on the beans and use smaller tortillas. We served the huevos rancheros with a fruit salad.

Crockpot Oatmeal

I came across this recipe for making oatmeal in the crockpot in a somewhat recent Outpost newsletter. I love oatmeal and eat a lot of it, but I usually stick to the same ol' bowl of oatmeal. I thought this might be a nice change of pace, and the thought of throwing everything in the crockpot Sunday night to have this ready for Monday's breakfast sounded great.

I followed the recipe exactly, except for one thing--I used raisins (since I had them) instead of dried cranberries or dates.

The oatmeal turned out well and the house smelled amazing in the morning. One thing Nate and I both agreed on, though, was that it really didn't taste like oatmeal--you couldn't quite taste the oatmeals and tasted more like raisins and apples than anything else.

If I made it again--and I probably will--I'd definitely use less brown sugar (I usually don't add any sugar to my oatmeal, just a bit of honey and raisins), because it was a little too sweet for me. I'd probably try a different type of dried fruit, too, because I have raisins quite a bit. I think you could do a lot of different things with this recipe to really make it your own.

Greek Eggs

Since we've been getting so much fresh spinach in our CSA box, I've been trying to think of different ways to use it.

One of my favorite things to do with spinach is saute it and add it to scrambled eggs. Since we also had leftover feta and tzatziki from our souvlaki sandwiches, I thought I'd add it all together. I just sauteed the spinach in a tiny bit of water for a few minutes.

When it was done, I took the spinach out and make regular scrambled eggs, with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When they were close to being done, I added the spinach and some fresh oregano (also from the CSA box), plus the feta. After it was done, I added a dollop of tzatziki to the top.

I must say ... it was delicious! I could eat this every day.

Sunday Brunch

I absolutely love brunch. There are so many places in the Milwaukee area that serve a great brunch. One place that is often named as one of the best brunch places in Milwaukee is Hotch-A-Do, on Milwaukee's east side. I had never been before, and was excited to try it when my friend Ann suggested it.

I was torn between two different menu items, but ended up going with the Hotch Hash (below): cheese potatoes, broccoli, red peppers, onion and goat cheese cooked together on a griddle and mixed with organic eggs. Served with toast. It was fantastic. The goat cheese really made it.

Ann got the other menu item I was interested in, the Eggs Benny: 2 eggs poached on an English muffin with ham, hollandaise sauce and avocado. Served with fresh fruit and cottage cheese.

It's a cute place with a great menu. And they served us complimentary scones! And the mimosas were two for one! I definitely recommend it.