Father's Day Waffles with Cardamom-Vanilla Strawberry Rhubarb Compote & Whipped Coconut Cream

My dad occasionally visits me in my dreams. In the beginning, I had these dreams much more frequently. They’re so vivid and real, he’s so vivid and real, that in the rawness of fresh grief, they were devastating to wake from. My dad has been gone almost three years (this August) and while I still wake tearful, with the scar of loss newly opened once more, his dream visits have started to feel like something else. Like a gift. Like an extra, stolen moment of time I get to spend with my dad, however fleeting. 

Coconut Lime Scone Loaf with White Chocolate and Mac Nuts

Let me be clear: this is not a Mother’s Day post (sidenote, happy Mother’s Day, mom!). This recipe isn’t for Mother’s Day. You can, of course, make it for a mom, but you can also make it for yourself (you can enjoy it even if you’re a dad, a cat-mom, a dog-mom, a non-binary non parent, an LGBTQ teen, a single dude who loves video games, a dude married to a dude, a woman in a long-term relationship who may or may not want to get married and has decided she doesn't want kids, a pregnant lady, a DINK couple, etc!), and you can also make your mom a big spicy pan of enchiladas if that’s what she’s into. Because moms, like all human women (and like all of the humans mentioned above, plus more... all the humans, even!), are complex creatures who don’t fit into one mold.

Quick Black Bean Chilaquiles

You may be a Derby fan, and I like the idea of celebrating the Kentucky Derby—what’s not to love about strong minty whiskey drinks!?—but I’ve never really gotten around to it. Probably because it always falls around the same time as Cinco de Mayo, and I live for Mexican food.

Breakfast Tacos with Chorizo and Fried Eggs

One of my friends has the most insane stories from her office, almost daily. Recently she was telling me about her coworker from Texas (Dillon/ East Dillion I’m assuming). He was talking about the things he misses most about the lone star state, particularly breakfast tacos (followed closely, I'm sure, by Tim Riggins). And the rest of the coworkers didn’t believe him that breakfast tacos exist. Seriously!? Who are these heathens! I want nothing to do with them. And everything to do with breakfast tacos (and Tim Riggins).

Baked Tortilla Cup Huevos Rancheros

Evan was sick all weekend, so I made him his favorite chipotle chicken tortilla soup. Which meant I had a jar of chipotle peppers in my fridge, along with half a lime, cilantro, cotija, corn tortillas, and of course, sour cream (which, let’s be real, I always have in my fridge). I also had a can of black beans in the cupboard, and a brand new jar of Mel’s homemade salsa.

I went to bed Saturday night planning Sunday’s brunch, those ingredients dancing in my mind (seriously… who needs sugar plums). First I was thinking a scramble, then maybe something like chilaquiles, or maybe a fried egg tostada type deal. But just before I drifted off to sleep, it came to me: baked eggs in tortilla cups, with mashed chipotle black beans. EUREKA!

I woke up super early Sunday morning (ok, like 8am…which because of the time change should have been 9am, but whatever…I’m not an early riser), feeling like a freaking genius for the idea I had come up with. So I decided to just do a real quick search on the ol’ internetz to find some tips for tortilla cups and egg baking… and the Google search “tortilla cup baked eggs” popped up a recipe that was pretty much exactly what I had dreamt up. The top search result.

Like… get out of my head, Bon Appetit! 

So, while I thought this recipe was totally unique and completely my own, it turns out tortilla cups filled with mashed black beans and top with a baked egg exists, outside of my head. They even used chipotle. C’MON, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!
 

Anyway. These are super easy to throw together, and an awesome brunch party idea, since you can make individual little egg cups for everyone. Or you can make them for breakfast for yourself, then eat all 6 of them throughout the day… that’s also a thing that can happen.

Baked Tortilla Cup Huevos Rancheros
Adapted from this recipe
 

Olive oil 
Six 6-6.5-inch corn tortillas (soft taco size)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, diced + extra sauce adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
Salt
3/4 cup grated cheese (jack, cheddar, etc)
6 large eggs 
Salt & pepper

Toppings:
Sour cream
Cilantro
Salsa
Lime
Crumbled cotija cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brush six 10-ounce custard cups with oil (or cooking spray), or use large muffin tins (not regular cupcake size). 

Wet and wring out a paper towel, and wrap around stacked tortillas. Microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Gently press 1 tortilla into each cup, and brush with oil (or spray).

Add beans, a splash of oil, the chipotle peppers and sauce (add more or less, depending on your heat tolerance), cumin, a pinch of salt, and ¼ of the grated cheese to a bowl, and mash with a fork or pastry blender.

Spoon bean mixture into bottom of each tortilla cup.

Crack 1 egg into each tortilla cup on top of the beans, being careful not to let it spill over the edge. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper, and the remaining grated cheese.

Bake uncovered until whites are set, about 25-27 minutes. Serve with suggested toppings.

Sunday Brunch

I love breakfast and brunch…a lot. I like going out for brunch—the bloody mary bar at the Leary Traveler, the vegan pancake with fresh fruit from Portage Bay the spicy chilaquiles with black beans and eggs from Senor Moose, a cup of black coffee with super thick cream and a California scramble from the Rusty Pelican, an earthy chestnut pancake from Volterra, a veggie-filled hash from Hi-Life—if it’s a delicious brunch in Seattle, I’ve probably had it (or it's on my list...and if I haven’t heard of it or tried it, hook a sister up!). I like going out for brunch so much, that lately I’ve forgotten the one thing I like even more… making brunch at home.

My favorite go-to brunch is always a spin on the following: a thick piece of crusty bread topped with something green, sometimes a bit of breakfast meat, a fried, poached, or even scrambled egg, and sprinkle, slice, or shaving of cheese. No matter what combo you go with, it’s a no-fail winner. Lately I’ve been obsessed with roasted tomatoes, so today’s brunch was a toasted slice of French bread, topped with sweet tomatoes slow roasted in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary sea salt, peppery arugula tossed with a simple shallot vinaigrette, crispy baked pancetta, a fried egg, and a few shavings of Polder Gold Koe—a hard, nutty aged cow’s milk cheese I brought back from Amsterdam.

Compared with a restaurant brunch, making it at home costs less, tastes better, and has far fewer calories. What a satisfying way to start a Sunday.