A Breakfast Tostada So Good

That you could almost eat it for dinner. I said almost, and that’s why I’m sharing a recent Sunday Breakfast on Tijuana Tuesday. Oh but today is more than just Mexican foods. It’s also National Pickle Day and Spicy Guacamole Day.

With the exception of Three-Day weekends and vacations, having breakfast as a family is limited to Saturdays and Sundays. Most Saturdays are busy with other things, so breakfast on a Saturday is generally pastries from the bakery, maybe a piece of fruit, coffee and juice. Every now and again, I’ll make some scrambled eggs. Sundays are different. The day always begins the same – Hubby and I attend mass. How I wish I could say that we attend as a family. It would mean so much to be to have Kiddo there. He’s struggling with organized religion. And so we let him be. He does pray with us on Advent Sundays and other special feasts. So one can hope. When he was a small boy, I had that same fantasy so many Catholic mothers and grandmothers have – to raise a priest. Yet I’ve never pushed him in that direction. I believe each of us is called in our own way to glorify God.

Hey, sometimes I get a little off track. Faith just excites me. And when I feel so full of the joy of the spirit, I want to share it with the world around me. Shout it from the roof tops. That kind of thing.

Back to breakfast. I think another reason I love puttering in the kitchen on Sunday mornings has a lot to do with faith – and the joy it brings to me. I want to express that in foods that are prepared with love. It’s the secret ingredient to all home-cooked meals. Love. And by gosh, it’s nice to share. Just look at the love these tostadas bestow.

Chorizo and Fried Egg Breakfast Tostadas
1 cup Grape Tomatoes
1/2 small Red Onion
2 tablespoons Nacho Jalapenos
1 tablespoon Brine from Jalapeno Jar
1/2 cup packed fresh Cilantro
Cilantro for garnish
1 tablespoon Lime Juice
3 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
Salt to taste
6 Tostada shells
1 can Refried Beans
1/2 lb Chorizo
1 cup Pepper Jack Cheese
6 large Eggs
Fresh Black Pepper
1 Lime

Heat oven to 425-degrees. Gather all the ingredients.

Dice tomatoes, place in a medium bowl. Peel and finely dice onion, add to the bowl. Finely dice jalapeno peppers, scatter over the tomato mixture. Add jalapeno brine and lime juice. Snip cilantro, add to the bowl. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt. Toss to mix, set aside.

Remove casing from chorizo, if necessary. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook chorizo until almost cooked through, breaking apart as it cooks. Drain well, set aside.

Arrange the tostadas on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven to warm until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, about 5 minutes total. Remove from oven.

While the tostada shells warm, warm beans in the microwave for about 3 minutes. Divide refried beans among the tostadas (about 2 heaping tablespoons each); spread evenly, leaving about 1/8-inch boarder. Scatter the chorizo over the refried beans. Top with cheese and continue to bake until cheese melts, about a minute or 2 longer. Shut oven off, and keep tostadas warm.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, lower heat to medium and cook until the whites are partially set, about 2 or 3 minutes. Cover skillet, cook until the whites are fully set while the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes or so longer. Season the fried eggs with salt and pepper.

Note: I added a splash of Habanero Olive Oil to the egg pan for a little extra flavor. That’s entirely optional.

Divide the tostadas among individual plates. Top with the tomato mixture, a fried egg and more cilantro. Cut lime into wedges, serve alongside the tostadas.

Optional Finishing Touch
Guacamole Garnish (make it spicy)

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I will bless the Lord at all times