Easy Mexican Brunch

You get two recipes for the price of one today! Lol. I guess I feel a little bad for slacking on my blogging...

But anywho, today I woke up kind of late and decided to have myself some brunch. Normally, my "brunches" usually consist of awesome pancakes and orange juice or vegan breakfast burritos, but I decided to step out of the box and make something a little different.

I've really been wanting to eat chilequiles for a long time because I'm in love with Mexican food and have an unsatiable appetite for all things carb-y and covered in salsa. So, this morning while I was browsing recipes I found a glorious authentic one made with homemade salsas... however, I tucked that one aside for later and just modified the method in order to make it quick and easy for everyone. I didn't really have a pound of tomatillos on hand, but I did have a jar of Pace!

I served these chilequiles alongside tofu rancheros and a glass of grapefruit juice, since I'm giving up coffee for the weekend (hey, I gotta start small!). It made for an easy Mexican brunch! These recipes will make two average or four small portions.

Easy Chilequiles:
8 (6 in.) corn tortillas, cut into eighths
2 Tb. olive oil
1/2 (a 16? oz.) jar of medium salsa (you want about a cup)
Sea salt to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add the cut tortillas. Stir the pieces around until covered with oil and then cook until all the pieces are golden brown and crispy (about 10 minutes). You will need to flip and separate the pieces occasionally.
3. Once browned, place the pieces on a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt.
4. Wipe out the pan, if necessary, and add the salsa. Cook for about a minute until hot and bubbly and then add the tortilla pieces. Toss the pieces so that they are all completely covered with salsa. Serve with tofu rancheros.

Tofu Rancheros:
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 a yellow onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 a jalapeno, minced (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb. olive oil
6 oz. tofu (about a third of a package), drained and pressed*
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. Bragg's liquid aminos
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano (can use regular, but Mexican is *awesome*)
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric

1. After draining and pressing the tofu, mash with a fork and add the nooch, Bragg's, Mexican oregano, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and turmeric. Stir well until everything is all mixed up.
2. In a skillet over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and add the diced bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno. Saute for about five minutes or until softened.
3. Add the tofu mixture, tomato, and garlic, and saute another 5-8 minutes or until tofu is golden and the tomatoes are softened (I like my tofu to be a little browned, but that's just personal preference). Enjoy!

*BONUS: Tofu that has been previously frozen and then thawed overnight makes the most awesome tofu scramble ever (heh, I needed the emphasis). It's easy to squeeze every last drop of water out and it creates the perfect "fluffy" egg texture. It also soaks ups spices and flavors real well. I highly recommend prefrozen tofu for this recipe and every scramble recipe!

This brunch was real easy to pull together. I first fried the tortilla strips and set them aside, then I made the tofu scramble and placed that in a serving bowl, then I finished off the chilequiles. By waiting until the very end to finish the chilequiles (coat them with salsa), you can make your tofu rancheros without getting them all salsa-y or having to use another pan.

And there you have it! An easy, peasy, Mexican-inspired brunch (also, it's quick. Did I mention it's quick?). Enjoy!