as i've gotten older i have come appreciate different flavors and textures coming together in one dish. that said, for a long time i stuck to eating a limited amount of food because of my dislike for so many things out there. so, if you asked me a few years ago if i would eat eggs with beans and avocado, my answer would be "absolutely not!" this dish is composed of a bunch of ingredients i wasn't too familiar with, mostly black beans. i'm not a bean person. i don't like them cooked, baked. fried, nothing. but i really liked the idea of making a puree out of them, much like making hummus out of chickpeas. but i wanted somewhat of a molé sauce flavor, kind of like the sauce frank and i get at our favorite mexican restaurant. therefore, i added nuts, seeds, some garlic and shallot, and even cinnamon to bring out the molé tastes and tones. the puree has quickly turned into one of my favorite things. it has a distinctly sweet and savory flavor which i look forward to pairing with other dishes.

i chose to make the huevos rancheros with poached eggs. my blogger-friend, edelyn over at egeedee.wordpress.com, posted an amazing looking poached egg recipe. since then i have been honing my poaching skills and i think they've gotten good enough to offer the rest of the world some advice on egg poaching. anyhoo, you can scramble your eggs, fry them, soft boil them, whatever makes you happy. it will all taste good with what's going on here.

·· black bean puree ··

2/3 cup dry black beans, soaked and cooked

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon sliced almonds (if you're using whole almonds you may want to toast them in the oven)

1 tablespoon pepitas

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more or less depending on your preference)

3-4 peppercorns

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup reserved water from the beans (if you're using canned beans lukewarm tap water will work)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for sautéing

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

fine ground sea salt

·· directions ··

soak your bean overnight (in a bowl, cover the black beans with a couple inches of water. they will expand and soak up some water, so use more water than less.)

drain and rinse the soaked beans. place them in a saucepan with a couple inches of water covering them. bring the water to a boil and simmer the beans until they are cooked through and tender - about 20 - 25 minutes (it might take longer depending what kind of beans you are using.) drain beans and let them cool. *don't forget to reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water

while the beans are cooking, heat a skillet on medium heat. once hot, add a layer of olive oil. add the shallot - cook for 3-4 minutes stirring often. next, add the garlic - cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. add the almonds, pepitas, and sesame seeds. cook until the nuts and seeds are lightly toasted and fragrant (you may need to adjust the heat on your stove, as you don't want the shallot or garlic to burn) about 7-10 minutes. remove from heat

in a food processor, combine cooled beans, shallot and nut mixture, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. as the mixture is blending, drizzle the reserved water in a little bit at a time until you have reached desired consistency. add salt to taste

transfer the puree to a bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, more if you can

·· huevos rancheros ··

// serves 2

2 mini tortillas

2 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup black bean puree

1 ripe avocado, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

hot sauce to taste

·· directions ··

pre heat oven to 350°

prepare a baking sheet with parchment or tin foil

toast tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. remove from oven, turn down the temperature to 200°. slather the tortilla with black bean puree. transfer back to baking sheet and keep warm in the oven

bring a pot of water with about a tablespoon of vinegar to a simmer. while the water is heating crack each egg into a small bowl or cup. just before the water starts to boil, use a spatula to make a vortex. (the spinning water helps the egg white to form a "shell" around the yolk.) gently slide the egg into the water, let it simmer for a few minutes. i don't like my eggs too runny, so i poached them for about 4-5 minutes. if you like yours runny, poach for 3-4 minutes. remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. repeat with the other egg

remove tortillas from oven and top with poached egg, sliced avocado, cilantro, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. enjoy :)