What's this? Why, it's the best (insert your favorite curse word) breakfast you've had, like, ever. You'll see the list of ingredients, and you might freak out a little bit, thinking that it's awfully rich for breakfast. But bear with me, as I'm a big fan of small jolts of dear ingredients, the best possible way to eat healthfully without dying of boredom.
This baby has it all, and I'm not just talking a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I'm talking crunchy, creamy, salty, spicy, even a hint of sweetness from the tomatoes. I realize that I'm claiming no new territory here - huevos rancheros fans will be all over this. But I might be able to shake you egg-&-buttered-toast fans out of a rut, and for that I'd be thrilled. (This totals around 250 calories, for those who care, and in my experience will leave you nicely satisfied until lunch time.)
Best part - ready in 10 minutes or less. Yes! I say breakfast, but I make this for lunch (and dinner!) all the time too. I'm not sure why I haven't shared it with you before, probably because it feels like sharing a bowl of yogurt, as in, I eat this all the time. But there was something about the way this morning's gorgeous fall sunlight fell on that equally golden yolk that made me think, Hey, this is blog worthy! Right?
Oh, I keep forgetting to say (because I keep forgetting that I'm going)... I'm heading to San Francisco later this week for BlogHer Food '10, a big annual food bloggers conference. Food bloggers know all about it but the reaction from family and non-blogging friends has been mostly pleasant confusion.
Oh cool. Wait - why?
I can't say exactly, yet - I've never attended a conference like this before - but I'm expecting serious networking as well as conversations about photography, writing, social marketing, monetizing, recipe writing, web design, niche/audience, on and on. And on. This will be two full days of conversation with hundreds of assertive, talented, successful, motivated women, after all. (There are male food bloggers of course. Food Wishes, David Lebovitz, Michael Ruhlman, Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, and Amateur Gourmet are all favorites of mine. But as the world goes, so does blogging... Women are taking over. Just kidding. A little.)
John is going with me, so I'm not sure how much blogging I'll do from San Francisco. We have drives to take and restaurants to scope! Also, I'm the type that needs to mentally digest a bit before I summarize. But despite prolonged exposure to excellent food and wine, I'll most certainly glean nuggets of wisdom which I'll be anxious to share. Stay tuned for raves... (And if you're going - email or DM me! I'd love to meet you!)
Fried Egg Tostada with Sausage, Spinach & Tomatoes
Serves 1
Note: If you're avoiding grains, just skip the tortilla and serve the egg over the spinach & sausage, with the slice of avocado as garnish. Delicious.
1 small, fresh corn tortilla
olive oil
1/2-inch-thick slice of ripe avocado, mashed lightly with a pinch of salt (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 oz. (about the size of a 1-inch meatball) of pork breakfast sausage (I love Blue Gentian, available at Minneapolis Farmers Market)
3 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 c. spinach leaves
chipotle chili powder
1 large, organic egg
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rub a few drops of olive oil into both sides of the tortilla. Toast the tortilla in the hot skillet until lightly browned and crispy on both sides. Set tortilla on a plate.
Crumble pork sausage into the hot skillet and stir around until nicely browned, about 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, spinach, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of chipotle chili powder and stir until spinach is wilted. Remove pan from heat. Spread avocado on tortilla, then top with the spinach mixture.
Return pan to heat. Add a a few drops of olive oil if there is no fat in the pan, then crack egg into the pan. Sprinkle egg with a little salt and pepper and fry egg to desired doneness (I like an over-medium egg). Nestle egg on top of tortilla and serve immediately.
