Black Bean Breakfast
When I first came across this recipe in Eating Well magazine, I wasn't sure if it was a breakfast recipe or a supper meal. Most people don't think of black beans as a breakfast food.
I do.
Hubby and I went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon. We stayed in hostels and ate at little roadside cafes called sodas. These restaurants were often run by families and featured the food they had at home.
A typical meal there usually involves black beans and rice, a friuit, a protein and a small salad. Well, there's generally not a breakfast salad. Most days, though, I'd get up early and have the black beans and rice, some plaintains, an egg and, maybe a chunk of bread.
That simple meal is called a casado. Casado means a married man. The joke is, a man can eat whatever he wants when he is single, but when he gets married and settles down he'll never eat anythng but this meal ever again.
Once I got used to navigating the markets, I was able to shop at dawn and cook our own casados in the hostel kitchen. We probably spent less on food in a month than some vacationers spend in a day at upscale restaurants, but I guarantee we never walked around hungry.
This recipe is not a true casado, but it does have many of the typical elements and it is delicious. I have eaten it any time of day. It's inexpensive and it fills you up. What could be better?
Black Beans and Corn with Poached Eggs
Makes 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of corn kernels
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoon of crumbled queso fresco
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet on mrdium heat.
- Add the onion, the bell pepper, the corn, the garlic, the jalapeño, the cumin and the oregano.
- Cook it all together for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the smell of spices is strong.
- Stir in the beans, the vinegar and th salt and cook for another couple of minures.
- Make four wells in the mixture and break an egg into each one.
- Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny,
- Sprinkle cilantro, cheese and red onion over the top and serve.
As an Amazon Associate I earn if you purchase from a qualifying link in my post.
