Enjoying a big, breakfast-y, middle-of-the-day meal doesn't also have to mean taking in an enormous amount of calories. This lightened-up take on traditional Mexican huevos rancheros uses egg whites instead of whole eggs and toasted tortillas instead of fried (and also includes avocado, tomato and green onion).

Serves 6

Ingredients


For the ranchero sauce:
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup mild chili pepper (Anaheim, banana, poblano), seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 2 16-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes in their juice
  • 1 Tbsp. mild chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
For the scrambled egg whites and tortillas:
  • 6 egg whites, beaten lightly with a fork
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 12 6-inch corn tortillas
For the garnish:
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced

Directions


To prepare the ranchero sauce: Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Add the olive oil and wait until it gets hot. Add the onion and stir, cooking approximately 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, mild chili pepper and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and cooked through. Add the canned tomatoes and with the back of a spoon, crush them against the sides of the pan to break them up and release their juice. Of course, you can always do what I do and crush them with your hands before adding them to the pot. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. This sauce can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.

To prepare the egg whites: Heat a nonstick skillet on medium heat until hot. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the egg whites. Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula to move the whites around the pan, being sure to work quickly and scraping the bottom of the pan. When the egg white is 3/4 of the way done, turn off the heat and continue to cook until the egg is done to your liking.

To prepare the tortillas: To reheat the corn tortillas, I like to cook the tortillas right over the flame of my gas range. Wet your hands and very lightly moisten the tortilla with your damp hands. Place the tortilla directly onto the flame, flipping every few seconds to prevent burning. If you don't have a gas range, simply reheat them in a skillet on the stove top flipping every few seconds until they are nice and toasted. Divide the warm corn tortillas onto 6 plates. Top with ranchero sauce, and then top with the scrambled egg white. Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions, avocado and cilantro on top.

Calories: 261
Fat: 10 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: 478 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg


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