Chili Tortilla Scramble

When I was younger, I used to skip breakfast most of the time. I've since grown wiser, and now recognize that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Considering most people expend more energy during the day than in the evening, it just makes sense to consume more calories in the morning than at supper time. A well-rounded breakfast provides the essential nutrients to help us get through the day.

Relieved of the daily hassles of morning labours, the weekend is the time for new and fun breakfast ideas. Breakfast is often served around noon here on Sundays, and if I owned a restaurant, I'd definitely serve breakfast all day. I came across this zesty looking Tex-Mex-style egg scramble while browsing through Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café on Saturday so, being a sucker for lots of hot chili peppers, I of course had to try it on Sunday. Once the preparations are finished, which can be done the day before, it's a fast and easy scramble all the way from the frying pan to the plate. You can use canned pinto beans, or soak 1/3 cup dried pinto beans the morning before making the scramble, cook them in the evening, and drain and set aside for the next morning.

Chili tortilla scramble

1 cup cooked pinto beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 green onions, both white and green parts, finely sliced
4 large jalapeno peppers, keeping the seeds if desired, and minced
2 large red hot lady finger peppers, as above
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 large corn tortillas, cut in half and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
6 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
cherry tomatoes for garnish

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the white parts of the green onion and stir fry for a minute or until the onion begins to turn brown at the edges. Stir in the rest of the green onion, chilis, chili powder and salt, and continue to stir for five minutes, adding a little more olive oil if the food sticks to the pan.

After 5 minutes, add the rest of the olive oil, followed by the garlic and tortilla strips. Stir and cook for another five or ten minutes, or until the chilis are tender and the tortillas have turned golden brown. Gently stir in the beans.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and pour into the pan. Scramble them into the tortilla mixture just until the egg pieces become dry, a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for a minute to let the eggs completely cook themselves in their own heat.

Serve hot, topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and cherry tomatoes.