Huevos Cocina de Kaleigh (or Mexicanish Eggs)

“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.  The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I just finished re-reading Tim Ferriss’s “4 Hour Body” book, and this quote really jumped out at me in the book.  I was recently discussing healthy eating with a fellow preventive health enthusiast, and we were saying how when it comes down to it, any diet will work.  The hard part is consistency, and picking a diet that realistically works in your life.  Tim advocates what he calls the “Slow Carb Diet,” on which you basically eat vegetables, protein, and beans.  The beans are for complex carbs and filling fiber, and they help you stick to the diet by keeping you full.  He advocates for 1 “cheat day” a week where you eat anything and everything you want to keep leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full) levels high for the week.  For me this fits with how I like to eat, and I’m planning on sharing some recipes in the coming weeks that will allow you to experiment with the principles to see if they work for you.  First up, Huevos Cocina de Kaleigh or, if you prefer, Mexicanish Eggs.

Following the Slow Carb Diet principles, each meal is comprised of (a) a protein source, (b) vegetables, and (c) beans.  I think breakfast is likely to be the most difficult for most people to eat this way, so I decided to start with a breakfast recipe.  Keep in mind though, this would be a great lunch or dinner as well.  If frying eggs in the morning is beyond what your routine will allow, hardboil and peel eggs the night before and eat them sliced with the beans and peppers in the morning.  I am all about doing maximum prep on Sundays and then enjoying the fruits (or more accurately, vegetables) of my labor throughout the week.  This week I made a big batch of both my refried black beans stir fried peppers and onions, and I’ll be building my meals around these for the week.  I also bought some avocados, salsa, lettuce and limes, so I can make Mexicanish Eggs, salads, lettuce wraps, and with grilled chicken as the mood strikes.  I hope this approach to food prep inspires you, and you enjoy this dish as much as I do!  

This recipe serves 3.

Mexicanish Eggs

Ingredients

Refried Black Beans

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp MCT oil (or butter, or cooking oil of your choice)
• 1 19oz can black beans
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt

Pepper and Onion Stirfry

• 1 Tbsp MCT oil (or butter, or cooking oil of your choice)
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 orange pepper, sliced
• ½ tsp chipotle chile pepper powder
• salt to taste

Fried Eggs

• 2 Tbsp MCT oil (or butter, or cooking oil of your choice)
• 6 eggs

Instructions

Make the beans:

Make the stir fry:

Fry the eggs:

1. Fry garlic in oil for 1 minute on high heat.
2. Add entire can of beans (including liquid), cumin and salt and stir to combine.
3. Bring beans to simmer, then reduce heat to medium.
4. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens enough so that when you stir, the mixture sticks together and you can see the pan underneath.
5. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
6. While the beans are simmering, saute onion in oil on medium heat until soft.
7. Add tricolour pepper slices and chipotle chile pepper and increase heat to high.
8. Fry veggies stirring frequently until peppers are soft and onions are brown.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Heat oil in pan, break eggs and fry to your liking.

To make this for 1 person, just make everything ahead except for the eggs, and fry up 2 eggs for yourself each time you make the meal. I double or triple the stir fry and beans and use them in different ways throughout the week (fajitas, Mexican salad, with eggs, with grilled chicken).