ranchero sauce

We are on a serious huevos rancheros binge lately. We ate them for breakfast both Saturday and Sunday and the craving is still not satisfied. So while the seitan stew was cooking, we decided to also make the most of our tomatoes and make our own ranchero sauce! Oh man, can I just tell you the entire apartment smelled like heaven when we were cooking this?

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved*
6 small tomatoes, chopped*
1 Tbsp butter

(*Note: This could also be done with 2 lbs. of any ripe tomatoes, or a 28 oz. can of peeled and diced tomatoes if fresh ones are not in season.)

Melt butter in a sauce pan set on medium heat. Add onions, and peppers, and cook until soft, approx. 4 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes, and spices and simmer on low until sauce thickens and tomatoes are broken down, about 35-40 minutes. Now it is time for huevos rancheros, or enchiladas!


The sauce had a lovely sweetness to it because of the cherry tomatoes. To assemble the huevos rancheros we heated up four corn tortillas and layered each plate with one tortilla, two fried eggs, cheese, the other tortilla, ranchero sauce and more cheese. Served with a side of black bean and potato hash. The corn tortillas we used are handmade locally here in San Francisco. If you can find hand made tortillas you should definitely spend the extra dollar or two for them, you will not be sorry.

p.s.: This photo was taken with my new Ego lights which arrived today. Not bad, huh!?

p.p.s.: The night after we made this recipe we ended up going out and upon arriving home I (Kenny) was hungry. I took the remaining black bean and potato hash, put it on a tortilla, covered it with the ranchero sauce and a sprinkle of cheese and put it into the oven on 350 for 12 minutes. It was one of the tastiest late night snacks I have had in a while, and will definitely have me making this sauce again very soon. I cannot wait to try it on enchiladas!