Dani Goes South

My favorite weekend sports include farmer's markets, thrifting, and BRUNCH. Benedicts, Bloody Marys, pancakes, burgers, salads, and champagne all living in one place?! It's just everything I want to welcome all the weekend feelings. My parents, too, are big on brunch, and really, it's one of the more important lessons that's been instilled in my life. Ease into your day, have that coffee, watch that tacky morning show for a few, and then when you feel like it, get moving in the kitchen. There are SO many things I love about this dish. First of all, the components are partially make ahead, and what isn't make ahead, is thrown together so fast. Secondly, when I wake up on a weekend morning, possibly after a couple cocktails the night before, all I want is a big 'ol breakfast burrito (preferably teleported from San Diego. Honestly, tacos and sushi are the only two things I've been disappointed in since moving here, and I would LOVE suggestions, if anyone has them!).

This riff on huevos is inspired by my parents, but with my addition of the chicken and crispy kale. When I told my mom I was making this, her exact reaction was: "Oh my god that sounds so good... Wait, doesn't it weird you out eating the parent and the child together?" Well, when you put it like that...still no. It's delicious, and it all starts with our foundation: the beans.

These beans are super simple, versatile, and will definitely provide you with enough leftovers for burrito bowls, or even more tacos. I love things that are both cheap as hell, and last you multiple days. Of course, if you're in a real time pinch, you could always go with some refried, but it really is so easy and worth it to make your own.

Soak 1 cup dry pinto beans overnight in water. In the morning, drain them, and rinse them really well under cold water. Add them to a large bowl, and pick out any beans that look worse for the wear, shriveled up, etc. To a pot (I used a 2 quart dutch oven), add your beans, 1/4 of a yellow onion, 3 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, garlic powder, and oregano, plus 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper. Cover 2 inches above beans with 1/2 water, 1/2 chicken or vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. If you salt your beans at this stage, they will get tough, so wait until the end of cooking to taste and season with salt, and pepper. Once you bring your beans to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer covered for about 1 hour. When the beans are done, season with salt and pepper, and mash until desired consistency is reached. Set aside.

Season 3 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, cumin, chile, and garlic powder and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 160F. Cover with foil and set aside. Keep your oven on.

Remove the leaves of roughly 4 stalks of kale(I used curly-leaf, but you can use Tuscan as well, or whatever you happen to have). Add to a large sheetpan, and drizzle very lightly with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add to your oven and bake for 7 minutes, remove from the oven, and add one grated garlic clove, and toss. Return to oven, and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes. Lower your oven to 200F and make your sauce.

If you purchased good-to-go enchilada sauce, simply heat and you're ready! In this application, I went with something that kiiiiiinda makes me cringe, but it was super satisfying, and made life easier. I'm talking, McCormick enchilada sauce seasoning, ya'll! Haha. How 90's am I? You simply add to a saucepan with tomato sauce, and a splash of water as well, and cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes. I would love to put the time and heart into a delicious enchilada sauce for enchiladas, but in this application, it's like 8 am and I'm in my jammies, so I'm not trying to simmer ancho chiles for days. Ya feel me?

While your chicken is resting, and kale and sauce and working away, time to put a little fry on our tortillas. In a large skillet add a scant amount of vegetable oil, and heat on medium-high. Cook your tortillas one by one, resting on a bed of paper towels to drain excess oil, when finished cooking. Wrap your tortillas in foil, add to your warm oven until you're ready to assemble. Now that your chicken is done resting, shred it, add a spoonful of your enchilada sauce, and toss together re-cover with foil. Cook your eggs as desired.

I'm always camp runny-yolk. It just adds such a luxurious component to this dish, but they are equally delicious with scrambled (especially if you fold in a little extra cotija and cilantro at the end of cooking).

To assemble your huevos, first, add a layer of your beans across a foundation of two tortillas. Add a swipe of your enchilada sauce, and your shredded chicken. Add your garlicky, crispy, kale, your egg(s), avocado, cotija, cilantro, diced onion, sour cream, and more enchilada sauce, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

I sincerely hope you squeeze these in this weekend for brunch- preferably, with a Bloody Mary or a crisp beer. I, most definitely will be fitting these bad boys in along with my other weekend plans of loooots of editing, and crying at This is Us, while eating Superbowl food after the Superbowl.

Chicken Enchilada Huevos Rancheros

(Serves 6)

3 chicken breasts

Corn tortillas

1/2 an onion, to garnish

1/2 bunch cilantro, to garnish

1 bunch kale

1 garlic clove, grated

Enchilada sauce, to serve

Sour cream, to serve

Cotija cheese, to serve

Lime wedges, to serve