eclaire (what’s in a) name?

hi everyone! i’m back from a trip to lovely oahu with mike’s family and ready to share more recipes with you!

the absolute first thing i wanted after getting off the plane was some good mexican food. beans, salsa, chips, avocado – those were the main things i was craving, and so i turned to this recipe, which is an interesting vegan twist on huevos rancheros. instead of layering cheese, salsa, eggs, tortillas, and beans, this recipe combines the salsa and beans, eliminates the cheese, and replaces the egg with polenta.

the recipe originally came out of vegan brunch, although i’ve added and subtracted quite a bit from the original recipe. i’ve even added a poached egg on top of the whole thing because i missed having huevos in my huevos rancheros! what i don’t miss in this recipe is amazing flavor – i love the ranchero sauce in conjunction with the creamy polenta! it’s delicious, and you must try this to help keep you full during these cold winter days.

one year ago: brazil nut encrusted seitan

polenta rancheros

adapted from vegan brunch, by isa chandra moskowitz
yields 6 servings

• ranchero sauce with beans
• 2t ground cumin
• 2t ground coriander
• 1/2t chili powder
• 1/4t cayenne pepper
• 2T oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 serrano (or 1 anaheim, if you prefer less spicy), seeded and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2t salt
• 2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• avocado, optional
• sour cream, optional
• tomatoes, optional

• polenta
• 4c vegetable broth
• 1/2t salt
• 1c polenta
• 1c (soy) milk
• 2T olive oil
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1. for the ranchero bean sauce: heat spices and oil in large pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute
2. add the onion, peppers, and garlic, allowing to saute for 10 minutes
3. add the tomato sauce and salt and allow to lightly simmer for 5 minutes
4. add the black beans and allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until warm all the way through
5. for the polenta: bring the broth and salt to a boil
6. add the polenta, stirring constantly
7. continue to stir until the mixture becomes thicker, about 15 minutes
8. add the soy milk and olive oil and stir, stir, stir until thick and polenta is no longer crunchy – about 10 more minutes
9. place a good scoop of beans into a bowl, spoon polenta over the beans, and top with avocado, sour cream, and tomatoes as desired and serve!