Mexican Breakfast Buddha Bowl

There are things I make for the blog and there are things I make in real life. The blog recipes are interesting and beautiful and maybe even we all learn something new from them and occasionally slimmed down versions are served at my table but I’m going to try harder to share recipes with you that I (in real life) make often and I hope will actually inspire you to go into your kitchen and make them yourself too.

I am with you on that Tuesday night when you don’t feel like cooking or really even eating anything other than maybe a glass of wine and some slices of cheese on crackers. But the rub (at least for some of us) is there are those darned other people you brought into this world that you took an oath on your life to feed.

This bowl resembles (although a bit prettier) something we have for breakfast (but mostly dinner) on the regular. Our dinners (and sometimes breakfasts) usually consist of a big pot of rice served in bowls with stuff on top. It works out well for everyone. The kids can have rice with a hard-boiled egg, some greens, and a slice of cheese and us grown-ups can enjoy a few bolder flavors like chiles, stinky cheese, bitter greens, etc. We all eat with minimal complaining and I feel satisfied that I’ve upheld my oath for one more day.

Now this is more of a breakfasty type of bowl and so I didn’t include steamed rice, but you certainly could, or cooked quinoa or whatever grain you like best. As a matter of fact, think of this a more of a guide than anything. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of frying your own tortilla strips, just crumble some store-bought chips instead. If you don’t want to season your own beans, you don’t have to do that either. You can buy refried beans and use those or if you are lucky enough to have a Mexican market nearby you can stop by and pick up already made beans there.

Other ¡Hola! Jalapeño recipes I make in real life:

• Slow Cooker Caldo de Pollo
• Perfect Pot of Beans
• Classic Steak Fajitas
• Lemon, Herb, and Garlic Roast Chicken

Mexican Breakfast Buddha Bowl Recipe

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes:

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into long wedges
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or ground black pepper

For the beans:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans

For the tortilla strips:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips

For the bowl:

• 1 large poblano pepper
• 4 large hard boiled eggs, peeled
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack or Aged Jack cheese, sliced
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
• 1/3 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss potato wedges with oil, garlic, salt, and Aleppo pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until a fork easily goes through, about 20-25 minutes. Cover with foil and keep warm.
2. While potatoes are roasting, make the beans. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and add onion, season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and stir in the oil to toast, about 1 minute. Add beans and their liquid and bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until thickened. Blend until smooth with a stick blender, if you’d like, otherwise, cover and keep warm.
3. To make the tortilla strips; heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add strips and fry, turning frequently until toasted and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
4. Char the poblano by setting it over a gas flame or placing under the broiler. Either way, turn frequently with tongs until it the skin is charred on all sides. This will take about 5-8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Peel off the charred skin and thinly slice, discarding the stem and seeds.
5. To make the bowls; divide beans, sweet potato, pepper strips, eggs, Jack cheese, and avocado halves between 4 bowls. Toss arugula with tortilla strips and a sprinkling of olive oil and salt and divide between the bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with cilantro leaves and cotija and serve.