Fried Eggs and 'Refried Beans' Burritos

May 5, 2006 — -- Are you looking for a way to start your day on Cinco de Mayo? Then try Sara Moulton's recipe for Fried Eggs and "Refried" Beans Burritos from her book, "Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals."

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Eggs and beans are a happy match and substantial enough for dinner. These beans are quote-unquote "refried" because I've come up with a much lighter version of the classic recipe, which involves a fair amount of lard. Originally, I'd planned to serve the eggs and beans on top of crisped corn tortillas, but they were too hard to cut through. So I wrapped the whole concoction in warm flour tortillas, adding crushed tortilla chips, cheese and salsa to the filling, and turned the dish into a breakfast-for-dinner burrito. Serve with a sliced tomato and avocado salad.

Ingredients

4 (7-inch) flour tortillas

¼ cup oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper

8 large eggs

4 ounces cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)

1 recipe Mexican Tomatillo Salsa, (recipe below), or 1 cup bought salsa

1 cup crumbled tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Place the wrapped tortillas in the oven to warm.

Add the cumin and chili powder to the onion and cook 1 minute. Add the pinto beans and ½ cup water and cook for 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth with some lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep warm while you cook the eggs.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, break the eggs into the pan and cook, covered, 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, spread some of the pinto bean mixture on each tortilla, top with 2 eggs, some of the cheese, salsa and crumbled tortilla chips. Roll up and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Mexican Tomatillo Salsa:

After you remove the papery husk of the Mexican tomatillo, you're looking at a vegetable with a strong resemblance to a small green tomato. It doesn't taste like a tomato, though. Rather, it has a faintly lemony flavor all its own. Tomatillos are a key ingredient in the Mexican green salsa that is served with many dishes alongside red (or tomato-based) salsa. I have specified Tomatillo Salsa as the topping for the Fried Eggs and Refried Bean Tortillas, but it would also be delicious with any grilled or sauteed fish or chicken.

Ingredients

3 fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered

4 scallions (white and light green parts), coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (stems and all)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

½ jalapeño or Serrano chile, seeds removed if desired

1 small garlic clove, minced (3/4 teaspoon)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the tomatillos, scallions, cilantro, oil, lime juice, jalapeño, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are almost smooth with a few small chunks. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.